^American 


BY    A.    STONE 


UNIV.  OF  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  LOS  ANGELES 


R.  J.  S.  MYSTERY  STORIES 


THE  BLUE-EYED  MANCHU.     By  Achmed  Abdullah 

VIA  BERLIN.    By  Crittenden  Marriott 

THE  LAST  MANCHU.    By  Achmed  Abdullah 

SIX  SECONDS  OF  DARKNESS.    By  Roy  Octavus  Cohen 

DENYER'S  DOUBLE.    By  Marriott  Watson 

TOLD  BY  TELEGRAPH.     By  George  Saint  Amour 

AFTER  MIDNIGHT.     By  Eric  Levinson 

THE  GREEN  OPAL  RING.    By  El  Comancho 

THE  MAN  WITHOUT  A  TONGUE.     By  Charles  F.  Pidgin 

THE  STRANGE  CRIME.    By  Ian  Roy 

THE  SECRET  OF  THE  SNOW.    By  Mildred  Van  Inwegen 


"  The  wireless  continued  to  spell  F.L." 


American  "Pep 

<ut  Tale  of  ^America's  Efficiency 


BY 

A.  STONE 

AUTHOE  or  "DRUMHEAD  EQUITY' 


Illustrated  by 
FRANK  KEANE 


NEW  YORK 
THE  ROBERT  J.  SHORES  CORPORATION 

1918 


COPYRIGHT,    IQlS,    BY 
THE    ROBERT    J.    SHORES    CORPORATION 


COMPLETE    MANUFACTURE    BY 

THE    PLIMPTON    PRESS 

NORWOOD,    MASS. 


List  of  Illustrations 


"The  wireless  continued  to  spell  F.L."   .    .  frontispiece 

PACING  PAGE 

"This  car  we  have  just  opened  is  empty"  .  .  .  .  109 
"  The  wretched  man  plunged  headlong  into  the  sea  "  257 
"He  stood  still,  gripping  the  door  casing"  ....  329 


2132825 


r 


^American 


BY    A.     STONE 


American  'Pep 


Chapter  One 


SAVAGELY    RAPID    AND    POWERFUL 
the  Government  Wireless  Station  at  Wash- 
ington began  instantly  on  a  message  to  the 
Malcom  Powder  Works. 

**  French  Ship,  carrying  your 
explosive  S.  H. ,  blew  up  in 
Halifax  Harbor.   Town  totally 
destroyed.  Ten  thousand  killed. 
Twenty  thousand  injured.  Ruins 
in  flames  and  furious  blizzard 
raging.   Deep  snow  and  below 
zero.  Hold  carload  shipment  of 
S.  H.  until  Marines  arrive  to 
guard  the  sea  coast. 
(Signed). ' ' 

Dorn,  the  operator,  had  answered  the  signal 
with  trepidation;  his  soul-destroying  premonition 


io  AMERICAN  PEP 

was  reliable.  Every  flash  of  the  instrument  was 
a  stab.  His  knees  knocked  and  his  voice  shook 
as  he  telephoned  the  message  to  Mr.  Malcom. 

Only  a  hundred  cases  destroyed  Halifax!  — 
and  was  it  accident  or  design?  Two  thousand 
cases  of  it  within  pistol-shot!  Dorn  knew  he 
was  not  the  craven  coward.  But  the  disastrous 
holocaust  unnerved  him.  The  cause  of  the  Allies 
and  the  Nation  was  at  stake!  This  mountain 
town,  so  valuable  to  the  Government,  might 
meet  the  fate  of  Nova  Scotia's  biggest  city  at 
any  moment,  and  it's  tune  for  every  man  to 
show —  At  that  moment  he  saw  Betty  Fraser, 
his  assistant,  coming  to  work.  He  struggled  for 
composure.  She  need  not  get  the  shock  —  not 
just  yet,  anyhow. 

Through  the  smoke  grimed  windows  of  the 
ticket  office  at  Malcom,  Jack  Dorn,  the  station 
agent,  looked  out  across  the  track  toward  Bald 
Eagle  Canyon.  His  long,  thin  legs  upheld  a 
taut,  healthy  body,  but  the  grip  of  his  curled 
fingers  indicated  at  that  moment  a  stress  of  high 
nervous  tension. 

He  turned  from  the  bay-window  toward  the 
girl  operator  who  had  just  finished  sending  a 
message.  Betty  Fraser  left  the  instrument  and 


AMERICAN  PEP  n 

came  to  Dorn's  side.  She,  too,  looked  across 
the  track  in  the  direction  of  Bald  Eagle  Canyon. 

"This  place  is  getting  on  my  nerves,"  Dora 
exploded.  "It's  plain  hell!" 

The  girl  shivered.  "Are  you  commencing  to 
feel  it  too?"  she  said. 

"Commencing  to  feel  it!  I  always  have  felt 
it,  from  the  first  moment  I  ran  old  Number  1750 
into  that  oozing,  dripping  inferno  of  the  moun- 
tains. It's  no  place  for  you,  either,"  he  ended 
savagely. 

"But  I've  lived  here  all  my  life,"  she  reminded. 
"It  has  been  only  lately  I  have  minded.  Some- 
thing more  terrible  seems  in  the  air." 

Malcom  was  a  powder  workers'  town.  Cen- 
turies before,  Bruce  Malcom,  a  Highland  Scot, 
had  roofed  over  part  of  Bald  Eagle  Canyon  and 
had  commenced  to  manufacture  gunpowder  there. 
He  invented  and  made  Stag  Brand  rifle  powder 
stand  for  quality.  The  deep,  narrow  canyon  was 
an  ideal  place  for  the  gunpowder  works  and 
succeeding  generations  had  continued  to  main- 
tain the  plant.  Gradually  the  town  of  Malcom 
was  built  up  and  continued  to  grow  within  a  half 
mile  of  the  powder  factory. 

When   the   railroad   finally   elbowed   Malcom 


12  AMERICAN  PEP 

River  to  one  side  of  Bald  Eagle  Canyon,  and 
came  up  within  a  thousand  feet  of  the  gunpowder 
works  it  took  time  for  the  town  to  recover  from 
the  shock,  but  gradually  they  realized  the  added 
market  facilities. 

The  Malcoms  were  proud  of  the  fact  that  in 
every  war  for  several  generations  they  had  furn- 
ished Stag  Brand  gunpowder  to  the  government. 
Malcom  IV  shrewdly  paid  his  men  high  wages 
but  down  there  in  the  dark,  dripping  canyon 
nerves  commenced  to  strain  and  snap.  The 
granite,  vibrationless  factory  had  commenced  to 
manufacture  a  new  explosive  for  the  government, 
a  composition  twelve  times  stronger  than  any- 
thing previously  made.  This  explosive  the  men 
had  named  Sky  High,  and  even  their  years  of 
accustomed  handling  deadly  ticklish  products 
failed  to  lessen  their  terror  of  this  powerful  new 
menace  to  life. 

"You're  right,"  Dorn  agreed,  "something  terri- 
ble is  in  the  air.  I'm  not  superstitious,  but  I've 
been  feeling  it  all  week." 

The  girl  turned  quickly  to  take  a  message  from 
the  wire.  Dorn  watched  her  straight,  young 
body  and  the  black  splendor  of  her  hair,  delicate 
ear  and  straight  nose  as  she  bent  over  the  instru- 


AMERICAN  PEP  13 

ment.  She  had  been  his  assistant  only  two 
months  and  he  had  not  yet  even  commenced  to 
fathom  the  mysteries  of  her  womanhood.  He 
was  unused  to  women  and  she  had  been  to  him 
from  the  first  both  a  puzzle  and  a  delight.  At 
no  time  had  he  been  able  to  read  back  of  the  dark 
shaded  screen  of  her  eyes  that  protected  the  real 
woman. 

She  turned  now  to  read  aloud  the  telegram  she 
just  had  taken.  It  was  signed  by  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  road  and  Dorn  gave  full  attention. 

''Agreeable  with  orders  from  constituted  military 
authorities,  I  am  passing  Lieutenant  Pettingill  with 
a  squad  of  ten  marines  to  your  station  tomorrow  on 
Number  22,  at  4.30  P.M.  Pettingill  and  squad  will 
constitute  an  armed  guard  to  seaboard  for  a  carload 
of  special  product  from  the  Malcom  Powder  Com- 
pany, which  is  reported  ready  for  loading.  If  you 
do  not  have  a  maximum  forty  ton  car  in  perfect 
physical  condition,  advise  us  and  one  will  be  attached 
today  to  passenger  train  72,  as  time  is  an  important 
element.  The  car  must  be  loaded  and  ready  to 
attach  to  express  freight  17,  due  to  leave  your 
station  tomorrow  at  7.30  P.M. 

J.  C.  CONSTANCE." 

"I've  got  a  car,"  said  Dorn.  "We're  lucky 
for  once.  There  is  a  new  B.  R.  &  B." 


i4  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Shall  I  tell  him?"  asked  Miss  Fraser.  "I 
still  have  his  wire."  Her  slender  fingers  rested 
on  the  instrument  in  front  of  her. 

Dorn  nodded,  then  turned  to  look  again  from 
the  window  out  across  the  canyon.  His  lithe 
form  shivered  as  from  sudden  cold,  although  the 
head  that  he  pressed  against  the  pane  was  hot. 

"He  wants  the  number  and  initial  of  the  car 
you  are  giving  them,"  the  girl  said. 

"Just  a  minute."  Dorn  stepped  quickly  across 
the  room  and  consulted  the  record  book.  "Tell 
him  it  is  B.  R.  &  B.  76533." 

When  she  had  sent  her  reply  they  stood  together 
at  the  window  again  looking  down  the  track. 
Presently  Dorn  frowned.  Along  the  narrow 
winding  path  beside  the  right  of  way  a  man 
slouched  slowly  forward. 

"There's  Whaley,"  said  Dorn.  "I  wonder 
why  I  detest  that  man  so,  and  I  wonder  even 
more  why  Malcom  can  tolerate  him  at  the  office." 

"Hush!"  warned  the  girl.  "He  would  make  a 
yellow  enemy.  But  I  know  what  you  mean." 
As  she  spoke  Whaley  shambled  in  and  leaned 
against  the  ledge  of  the  ticket  window. 

"Mr.  Malcorn  wants  to  know  how  soon  we  can 
have  an  empty  to  load,"  he  drawled.  "It  must 


AMERICAN  PEP  15 

be  in  first  class  condition.  It's  to  be  loaded  with 
' Sky  High.'" 

Dorn  detected  the  smell  of  whisky  on  the  man's 
breath  and  stepped  between  him  and  the  girl. 
Miss  Fraser  shared  Dorn's  aversion  and  left  the 
window  for  air. 

"I  have  a  car,"  said  Dorn.  "I  will  have  it 
shifted  to  your  canyon  siding  by  noon." 

"Do  you  know,"  confided  Whaley,  "this  car 
goes  to  seaboard  for  rush  delivery  to  the  army  in 
France.  •  And  a  squad  of  Marines  will  go  with  it. 
Some  car,  that!"  he  added  with  a  sickly  grin. 

"I  wouldn't  talk  too  much  if  I  were  you," 
snapped  Dorn.  "The  least  said  about  that  car, 
the  better." 

Whaley  hunched  his  rounded  shoulders,  looked 
about  furtively  for  Miss  Fraser,  then  left  the 
station.  She  and  Dorn  watched  Whaley  as  he 
walked  back  down  the  track.  Ahead  of  him  the 
town  spread  like  an  immense  checker  board  on  a 
smooth  side  hill. 

"Somehow,"  said  Dorn,  "it  just  needed  a 
glimpse  of  that  snake  to  complete  today's  emo- 
tions. No  other  man  would  fit  into  the  picture 
so  well." 

"Do  you  know,"  she  shivered,  "it  seems  as  if 


16  AMERICAN  PEP 

•  they  were  doing  something  all  the  time  to  make 
that  canyon  a  regular  death  trap." 

"And  this  new  stuff  is  the  worst  yet,"  agreed 
Dorn.  "It  must  be  pretty  dangerous  and  valu- 
able to  require  a  guard  in  transit.  Such  caution 
is  unheard  of." 

"I  always  dread  it  every  time  you  go  down  in 
there  to  check  up  the  cars."  She  turned  away 
quickly,  regretting  her  words.  They  held  a 
personal  inference  she  had  not  intended. 

,  "I  don't  mind  that  part,"  he  replied.  "But  I 
do  hate  that  canyon.  I  ran  the  mogul  number 
1750  six  times  a  week  over  this  division  for  more 
than  two  years.  I  never  went  into  Bald  Eagle 
Canyon  from  either  end  that  I  didn't  feel  as 
though  I  were  going  into  hell.  Why,  every  bird 
seemed  to  have  a  sad,  mournful  look;  the  crows 
that  were  loud  and  rancorous  enough  elsewhere 
never  made  a  cry  down  there.  I  felt  always  as  if 
Bald  Eagle  would  give  it  to  me  some  day."  He 
stopped  and  paced  back  and  forth  with  his  eyes 
always  on  the  track. 
,  "And  did  it?"  she  breathed  quickly. 

"Yes,  but  it  hasn't  'broke*  me.  It  requires 
death  to  do  that.  In  the  spring,  March,  I  was 


AMERICAN  PEP  17 

coming  down  through  here  just  after  midnight 
with  fifty  full  loads  of  coal  behind  me.  It  was 
raining  so  hard  that  a  sheet  of  water  was  all  I 
could  see  in  the  headlight.  Malcom  River  was 
up  to  the  track  in  places  and  running  like  a  mill 
tail  with  a  sound  almost  a  roar  that  grew  worse 
down  by  the  powder  mill  in  'Malcom's  Hole.' 
It  made  me  think  of  hell  fire  roaring  under  forced 
draft. 

"When  I  cleared  the  canyon  on  the  other  side 
I  drew  a  long,  joyful,  relieved  breath  but  that 
didn't  last  long  for  when  I  got  to  the  bridge  over 
Malcom's  River  there  was  nothing  but  the  ties 
left.  Number  1750  and  I  went  in,  with  about 
all  of  those  fifty  loads  on  top  of  us." 

"And  then — ?"  Her  dark  eyes  fired  admira- 
tion and  pity. 

''When  I  got  out  of  the  surgeon's  hands  I  was 
color  blind  and  could  not  distinguish  signals. 
The  company  said  they  wanted  to  do  the  right 
thing  and  gave  me  this  station.  That's  all,"  he 
ended.  "But  I  guess  you  can  get  the  irony 
of  it." 

"Yes,  I  understand."  She  turned  quickly, 
fearing  he  would  watch  the  tears  that  threatened. 


Chapter  Two 


W HALEY  AT  THE  SENTRY  BOX,  AT 
the  entrance  of  the  canyon  on  his 
way  back  to  the  WorkSj  stopped  and 
gave  the  countersign;  the  guards  at  each  end  of 
Bald  Eagle  Canyon  demanded  it  without  varia- 
tion. He  proceeded  down  the  canyon  on  the  track 
beside  the  little  river  with  a  grave-yard  whistle. 
The  deathly  stillness  of  the  damp,  oozing  fissure 
never  failed  to  fling  a  load  on  his  soul.  Whaley 
whistled  louder  as  he  neared  the  little  switch  that 
had  been  blasted  out  of  the  solid  granite  side  of 
the  canyon.  There  he  turned  directly  right 
into  a  narrower  slit  in  the  granite  into  Malcom's 
Hole,  where  rubber-wheeled  carriers  on  a  narrow- 
gauge  track  brought  all  Malcom's  product  down 
from  the  works  above,  and  transferred  it  to  the 
regular  freight  cars  of  the  railroad  on  the  switch. 
Whaley  slunk  up  this  corridor  in  the  solid  rock 
until  he  came  to  the  high  explosive  buildings 
where  Sky  High  was  manufactured.  At  this 


AMERICAN  PEP  19 

point  he  always  had  to  flog  his  coward  soul. 
He  was  edging  along  on  the  track  between  the 
concrete  loading  platform  and  the  sheer  stone 
sides  that  mounted  nearly  three  hundred  feet 
when  he  was  startled  to  a  shudder  by  a  voice 
from  the  shadows. 

"Wait  a  minute,  Whaley!  Why  are  you  in 
such  a  devil  of  a  rush?" 

Whaley  wheeled  with  a  jerk  to  face  Gregg,  the 
high  explosive  foreman.  "What  do  you  want?" 
he  whined  a  snarl.  He  approached  the  concrete 
platform  and  leaned  against  it  heavily. 

"Was  you  down  to  the  station  to  see  about 
that  car?"  asked  the  foreman. 

"Yes,  just  came  from  there.  Dorn  says  he 
will  have  it  on  the  switch  before  noon."  Whaley 
craned  his  neck  to  look  in  the  warehouse.  "But 
where's  your  stuff?  You're  not  ready  to  load." 

"It's  all  ready.  You  needn't  be  afraid  to 
climb  up  on  the  platform  and  see  for  yourself." 
The  foreman  grinned  and  jerked  his  thumb 
toward  the  inside  of  the  dark  concrete  room. 

"I'll  take  your  word  for  it.  I  don't  want  to 
get  any  nearer  the  damn  stuff.  But  what  would 
happen  if  it  was  to  let  loose  down  here?"  Whaley 
edged  away  as  he  spoke. 


20  AMERICAN  PEP 

"I  can't  say  for  sure,  but  I  am  certain  of  one* 
thing:  Saint  Peter  would  have  a  new  hand  at 
his  furnace,  a  fellow  with  a  red  nose,  a  liver  as 
white  as  snow,  and  a  yellow  streak  up  his  back 
as  wide  as  your  hand." 

Whaley  ventured  a  ghastly  grin  and  continued 
on  his  way  without  reply  to  this  merciless  taunt 
and  evidence  that  Gregg  hated  his  coward  soul. 
He  wondered  what  it  was  about  the  Scotch  blood 
that  made  it  so  unfeeling  and  why  he  had  come 
to  hate  it  since  the  war. 

He  passed  a  long  series  of  concrete  powder 
houses,  the  box  factory  and  charcoal  ovens,  all 
clinging  to  one  side  of  the  street-like  bottom  of 
the  'hole'  until  he  reached  the  upper  end  where 
it  narrowed  to  almost  nothing.  He  then  began 
to  mount  a  series  of  switch-back  stairs  used  by 
employees.  This  took  him  over  two  hundred 
feet  above,  directly  to  the  entrance  of  a  one 
story  office  building  of  the  same  dark  granite. 
This  building  was  surrounded,  as  was  the  entire 
canyon,  by  a  tall  spiked  iron  fence  anchored  to  the 
solid  rock.  The  plan  of  the  pioneer  Malcom  of 
roofing  over  the  canyon  had  been  long  since 
abandoned  for  concrete  constructions  with  in- 
dividual roofs. 


AMERICAN  PEP  21 

Whaley,  entering  the  office,  passed  into  a  big 
room  containing  old-world  counting-house  desks 
among  book-keepers  and  clerks  on  high  stools. 
He  went  directly  to  the  extreme  rear  corner 
where  Malcom  IV's  private  office  was  partitioned 
off. 

Malcom  looked  up  briskly  as  his  messenger 
entered.  Whaley  stood  at  respectful  distance, 
hat  in  hand. 

"Dorn  says  he  will  have  a  car  on  our  switch 
before  noon,"  he  informed.  "The  local  freight 
will  set  it  in.  He  has  one  in  the  station  yard 
that  will  do." 

"Did  he  give  you  the  name  and  number  of  the 
car?"  Malcom's  sharp  eyes  looked  out  from 
under  a  frame  of  gray  hair  above  an  angular 
surface  of  rugged  vitality. 

"No." 

"When  is  the  local  due?" 

"It  is  due  now.  I  heard  it  whistle  at  the 
lower  end  of  Bald  Eagle  just  now." 

"Go  back  to  the  switch,  stay  there  until  they 
set  that  car  in,  examine  it  carefully  for  flat  wheels, 
take  a  good  snap  shot  of  it,  and  bring  me  three 
prints.  Come  back  by  way  of  the  post  office 
and  get  the  eastern  mail." 


22  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Yes,  sir,  Mr.  Malcom,"  replied  Whaley,  and 
cringed  back  out  of  the  great  powder  maker's 
office.  He  unlocked  a  drawer  in  the  end  of  an 
unused  desk,  took  from  it  a  large  sized  Kodak 
and  began  an  exact  backtrack  of  the  course  he 
just  had  followed  to  the  office.  As  usual  when 
he  approached  the  high  explosive  houses  his  feet 
became  lead. 

"This  whole  damn  plant  ought  to  be  in  hell," 
he  whined,  as  craven  fear  thumped  a  drink-un- 
paired stomach.  He  arrived  at  the  switch  just 
as  the  engine  was  leaving  and  he  noticed  that  it 
had  set  in  five  cars.  Only  one  was  in  position 
beside  the  loading  platform  and  the  narrow-gauge 
from  the  mill.  * 

Whaley  took  an  exposure  of  both  sides  of  the 
car  and  another  which  included  all  of  them.  He 
then  passed  the  ends  of  his  cigarette-yellowed 
fingers  carefully  around  the  surface  to  detect 
flat  wheels  on  the  car.  After  taking  a  furtive 
look  about  him,  he  lighted  a  cigarette,  an  act 
positively  forbidden,  and  made  his  way  up  the 
track  through  the  canyon  to  the  station. 

He  craned  his  neck  through  the  ticket  window. 
"Mr.  Dorn  hi?"  he  inquired  blandly  of  Miss 
Eraser. 


AMERICAN  PEP  23 

"No,  not  just  now.    Anything  I  can  do?" 

"I  just  came  from  the  canyon  switch  and  you 
set  in  several  cars.  I  suppose  the  one  in  loading 
position  is  intended  for  us?"  He  wondered  how 
it  was  that  Betty  Fraser  appeared  to  be  more 
attractive  today  than  usual. 

"They  were  short  of  room  on  the  warehouse 
track  here,"  she  replied  after  consulting  a  memo- 
randum on  Dorn's  desk,  "and  took  several 
cars  down  there,  but  the  B.  R.  &  B.  7^533  is 
yours." 

"All  right.  I  just  wanted  to  make  sure." 
Leering  he  left  for  the  post  office. 

Whaley  was  lazy:  he  had  a  downright  aversion 
to  anything  except  bibulous  activity.  He  started 
for  a  traveling  photographer's  tent  on  a  vacant 
lot  not  far  out  of  his  way.  The  man  had  gener- 
ously offered  to  develop  his  films  for  the  sake  of 
a  friendship  formed  recently  at  the  bar  in  the 
Barrel  House. 

Malvoney,  the  black-mustached,  middle-aged 
photographer,  who  might  be  taken  for  an  Italian, 
a  Frenchman  or  a  Turk,  rose  as  his  visitor  entered 
the  tent. 

"I've  got  three  shots  here  of  some  cars  on  the 


24  AMERICAN  PEP 

siding,"  began  Whaley.  "And  if  they're  not 
good  —  Well,  you  know  the  Old  Man." 

"Most  certainly,  my  friend,  I  can  develop 
them  immediately,"  cut  hi  Malvoney.  "Sit 
down.  It's  a  hot  day,  but  you'll  find  it  com- 
fortable here."  He  offered  the  one  camp  chair 
and  fan  he  was  using.  The  residents  of  Malcom 
settlement  had  to  rely  on  itinerant  photographers 
and  this  year  they  were  fortunate  in  Mr.  Mal- 
voney's  advent,  for  he  had  an  especially  complete 
tent  outfit  and  was  manifestly  a  superior  artist. 

"No,  can't  stop.  On  my  way  to  the  post 
office.  If  you  don't  mind  I  will  stop  on  my  way 
back.  If  the  negatives  are  good  make  four  prints 
from  each  one.  That  hole  where  I  have  to  develop 
is  like  a  Turkish  bath  this  time  of  year." 

"Don't  mention  it.  I  was  just  wishing  for 
something  to  do.  Go  down  to  the  post  office 
and  I  will  have  them  ready  by  the  time  you  get 
back,  if  you  don't  hurry  too  much,"  he  beamed. 

"All  right,  Malvoney,  much  obliged.  I  won't 
be  gone  long."  Whaley  lighted  another  cigarette 
and  started  toward  the  post  office.  He  stopped 
several  times  to  gossip  and  looked  with  almost 
uncontrollable  longing  toward  the  Barrel  House, 
but  fear  of  Malcom  finally  passed  him  on  thirsty. 


AMERICAN  PEP  25 

At  the  post  office  a  small  package  of  mail  carefully 
tied  was  waiting  for  him.  He  retraced  his  steps, 
again  reluctantly  passed  the  Barrel  House  and 
did  not  pause  until  he  reached  the  awning  of  a 
hardware  store.  He  sat  down  on  a  spool  of 
barbed  wire  which  he  carefully  insulated  from 
his  body  by  the  package  of  mail.  He  proceeded 
to  visit  with  the  gossiping  proprietor,  thus  giving 
his  accommodating  friend  tune  to  develop  his 
films  and  make  the  prints. 

When  he  reached  the  tent  the  photographer 
greeted  him  with  a  smiling  shake  of  his  head. 
"You  are  not  improving  in  your  camera  work  as 
you  should,"  he  said. 

"What's  the  matter  now?"  asked  Whaley. 

"Two  of  your  pictures  were  good,  but  the  other 
was  impossible."  Malvoney  produced  the  two 
prints  taken  of  the  car  at  the  loading  position. 
This  was  easily  distinguished  as  both  sides  of  a 
new  car,  B.  R.  &  B.  76533. 

"Well,  these  will  do.  All  the  old  man  wants 
is  to  see  that  the  car  is  there,  a  new  car,  and  to 
make  sure  of  the  number.  Foxy  old  guy !  These 
pictures  never  lie." 

"And  you,  my  friend,  who  have  become  such 
an  adept  at  this  kind  of  camera  work,  should  not 


26  AMERICAN  PEP 

grow  careless,"  purred  Malvoney.  "I  have  told 
you  often  that  you  are  an  artist  born.  You  have 
the  fingers  as  well  as  the  instincts  of  the  artist, 
and  if  you  would  devote  just  a  little  time  each 
day  to  your  natural  cleverness,  you  soon  would 
make  your  mark."  He  spoke  with  full  evidence 
of  sincerity. 

"Don't  fill  me  up  with  a  lot  of  bunk.  I  am 
dissatisfied  enough  now,"  replied  Whaley. 

"It  isn't  what  you  call  bunk.  I  mean  every 
word.  But  we  can  talk  it  over  up-town  tonight. 
I'll  see  you  at  the  Barrel  House?" 

"You  sure  will.  So  long  till  tonight,"  and 
Whaley  started  back  to  the  office. 

He  made  his  report  to  Mr.  Malcom  and  handed 
him  the  photographs.  Malcom  at  once  called 
Dorn  by  telephone  and  verified  the  number  and 
condition  of  the  car.  "And  now,  Mr.  Dorn," 
he  concluded,  "we  have  those  cases  ready  in  our 
finished  warehouse.  I  wish  you  would  look 
them  over  and  count  them  there  before  we 
begin  loading  tomorrow  morning.  It  might  save 
delay." 

"All  right,  Mr.  Malcom.  I  can  do  even 
better.  I  have  late  advice  that  Lieutenant 
Pettingill  is  arriving  early  in  the  morning,  ten 


AMERICAN  PEP  27 

hours  in  advance  of  the  squad  that  will  guard 
the  car  in  transit.  I  will  bring  him  with  me 
tomorrow  morning  to  see  the  cases  where  they 
now  stand,  before  they  have  been  moved." 

"Splendid,  and  then  he  will  be  sufficiently 
impressed  with  the  necessary  caution.  We  will 
leave  it  that  way,  Mr.  Dorn.  Goodbye."  Mal- 
com  abruptly  ended  the  conversation  and  returned 
to  his  secretary. 

"Whaley,"  he  directed,  "be  sure  and  have 
your  camera  outfit  ready  to  get  good  pictures  of 
this  car  immediately  it  is  loaded  tomorrow  after- 
noon, for  use  on  the  bill  of  lading  and  copies,  and 
let  there  be  no  mistake." 

During  the  remainder  of  the  day  the  cunning 
insinuations  of  Malvoney  worked  on  Whaley 
and  it  was  with  lively  interest  that  he  arrived 
early  in  the  evening  at  the  Barrel  House. 
Glorious  freedom  from  tile  strict  Scotch  custom; 
liquor  without  stint  and  the  animal  satisfied. 
He  found  Malvoney  waiting  for  him.  They 
selected  a  small  table  apart  from  the  rest  and 
Whaley  at  once  launched  upon  the  problem 
nearest  his  heart  after  an  unduly  liberal  tipple 
on  Malvoney. 

"Do  you  really  think  I  could  make  a  hit  if  I 


28  AMERICAN  PEP 

were  to  shake  this  dump  and  go  out  and  hustle?" 
he  asked  across  the  filthy  board. 

"I  not  only  think  so,  but  I  know  so,  my  boy. 
All  you  need  is  a  good  start,"  assured  the  pho- 
tographer. 

"I  know  I  never  shall  amount  to  anything  here. 
Sometimes  I  feel  like  taking  the  first  train  and 
getting  out  of  this  damn  place."  Whaley's 
enlarging  pupils  betrayed  that  he  had  taken 
several  drinks  just  to  tune  up  before  meeting 
Malvoney. 

"Whaley,  what  would  you  give  if  I  could  not 
only  fix  it  so  that  you  could  leave  and  take  no 
chances  at  all,  but  be  kept  up  until  you  make 
good?"  Malvoney  looked  through  the  wide 
open  eyes  clear  into  the  craven  soul  of  his  com- 
panion. 

"I  would  give  an  arm,  a  leg,  anything  but  my 
life,  if  I  could  shake  the  place  and  get  something 
good  outside."  Whaley  leaned  forward  with 
inebriate  frenzy. 

"And  I  am  fortunately  in  a  position  to  help 
you  do  it.  I  shall  ask  so  little  in  return  that 
you  will  be  surprised." 

"I  don't  care  what  it  is.  I'll  do  it.  Just 
name  the  poison." 


AMERICAN  PEP  29 

"All  right,  Whaley,  I  will  take  you  at  your 
word  and  I  am  going  to  trust  you."  He  produced 
an  envelope  from  his  pocket.  "Here's  ten  ten- 
dollar  bills,  and  when  you  have  helped  me  a 
little,  just  a  little,  I  will  make  it  just  ten  times  as 
much." 


Chapter  Three 


WHEN  DORN  RETURNED  TO  THE 
station  after  an  early  evening  meal  he 
found  Miss  Eraser  in  a  state  of  re- 
pressed excitement.  She  rose  when  he  entered 
and  spoke  quickly. 

"Mr.  Dorn,  several  times  since  you've  been 
gone  I  have  noticed  something  queer  about  the 
wireless." 

He  showed  instant  concern  and  moved  toward 
the  booth  in  the  corner  containing  it. 

"It  may  be  nothing,"  she  went  on.  "The 
machine  is  new  to  me  and  I  cannot  tell,  but  I 
think  we  should  investigate.  I  have  gained  the 
impression  that  other  messages  are  being  sent  to 
some  nearby  station." 

"The  nearest  station  of  which  I  know  is  Pitts- 
burg  west,"  said  Dorn,  "Harrisburg  east;  none 
south,  or  north  either,  until  Rochester,  Buffalo 
or  Ogdensburg." 

"I  don't  believe  it  is  as  far  away  as  any  of 


AMERICAN  PEP  31 

those  points;  but  I  have  heard  them  distinctly 
and  persistently,  sometimes  strong  enough  to 
make  a  flash,  all  afternoon.  At  first  I  thought 
atmospheric  conditions  were  so  good  that  we 
were  getting  the  signal  calls  from  ships  at  sea. 
They  evidently  are  using  the  continental  code 
and  you  know  you  have  not  taught  me  that  yet. 
I  wish  they  would  begin  calling  now  for  you  to 
hear.  As  far  as  I  could  make  out  they  have  not 
raised  the  desired  station  yet,  and  they  may 
begin  again." 

"Take  the  book  home  tonight,"  he  suggested, 
"and  study  the  continental  Morse  code  and  we 
will  practice  it  every  day.  It  is  important  that 
you  should  know  both." 

Dorn  gathered  his  long  legs  up  under  his  change 
drawer  below  the  ticket  window  to  make  up  his 
cash  for  the  day,  but  when  the  first  stroke  on  the 
wireless  receiver  sounded,  he  shut  the  cash  drawer 
with  a  snap  and  rose. 

"There,"  she  cried,  "that  is  the  very  call  that 
has  been  on  the  receiver  several  times  this  after- 
noon." She  came  to  the  door  of  the  booth  and 
watched  his  face  intently. 

She  saw  Dora  become  immovable  for  some 
minutes.  Then  cautiously  he  cut  out  the  lightly 


32  AMERICAN  PEP 

charged  wire  ordinarily  in  use  and  carefully 
switched  in  a  hundred  horse-power  voltage  that 
set  up  a  high  resonance  and  gave  the  instruments 
a  radius  of  two  thousand  miles. 

"They  are  "very  close,"  he  said,  "and  are  calling 
F.  L.  in  international  code."  She  stood  tensely 
alert.  The  discovery  of  another  wireless  station 
up  there  at  the  top  of  the  mountains  in  their 
isolation  was  like  finding  an  interloper,  a  huge 
rattler  in  their  path,  a  crirninal  in  their  house. 

For  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  they  re- 
mained silent,  both  seeing  and  hearing  the  two 
dots,  dash  and  dot  of  the  F,  and  the  dot  dash 
and  two  dots  of  the  L,  reproduced  with  important 
persistence.  These  two  letters  of  the  continental 
code  the  girl  would  not  soon  forget. 

"This  fellow  can't  reach  over  two  hundred 
miles,  so  that  he  is  reaching  for  an  interior  land 
station,"  Dorn  commented. 

Soon  after  to  their  further  intense  excitement 
an  answer  did  come,  faint  but  undoubtedly  an 
answer.  "Who  is  calling?  F.  L.  prove  your- 
self," the  distant  station  slowly  spelled  out  in 
international  code  which  Miss  Fraser  did  not 
know,  but  Dorn  wrote  plainly  so  she  could  see  it 
over  his  shoulder. 


AMERICAN  PEP  33 

"A  friend,  L.  A.,"  came  from  the  close-by 
station.  "And  I  give  today's  password."  Lou- 
vera  was  slowly  spelled  out.  "Right;  been 
trying  to  get  you." 

"Heard  you,  was  afraid  until  now,"  quickly 
came  from  perhaps  two  hundred  miles.  \ 

"Are  you  safe  now?"  asked  the  station  Dorn 
knew  was  very  near. 

"Yes,  are  you?" 

"Perfectly,  am  trusted  here,"  replied  the  near 
station. 

"Go  ahead  then,  but  in  cipher,  and  hurry 
through,  as  I  might  have  to  leave  any  time.  I 
draw  so  much  power  I  weaken  the  lights  on  this 
circuit,"  replied  the  distant  station. 

"All  right,  send  this  to  New  York  by  messenger 
tonight  if  your  relay  is  not  safe,"  immediately 
began  Dorn's  neighbor,  and  then  followed  a  long 
message  in  cipher  which  Dorn  wrote  on  the  white 
paper  in  front  of  him.  The  message  ended 
suddenly  without  signature  or  any  indication  of 
the  sender's  exact  location,  but  the  operator  did 
want  it  relayed  or  sent  by  messenger,  New  York, 
as  something  of  great  importance. 

"What  do  you  make  out  of  it?"  she  inquired 
breathlessly,  not  realizing  in  her  excitement  that 


34  AMERICAN  PEP 

she  was  putting  considerable  weight  on  Dorn's 
shoulder. 

"It  means,"  he  hesitated  in  order  to  study  the 
words  used  in  the  code,  "that  there  is  another 
wireless  station  right  here,  or  within  a  few  miles 
of  here,  that  has  a  dMerent  password  every  day, 
and,"  he  narrowed  the  gray  of  his  eyes  as  if  to 
pierce  the  mystery  of  the  white  paper  he  held, 
"it  means  the  enemy  has  established  a  wireless 
station  here,  to  report  Malcom's  powder  and 
dynamite  deliveries  and  especially  the  new  ex- 
plosive—  and  elsewhere,  too." 

"And  what?"  she  asked,  impatient  at  his 
deliberation. 

"And —  I  don't  know  just  what."  He  came 
slowly  out  of  the  little  booth  and  began  to  walk 
the  floor.  "  The  audacity  and  boldness  is  start- 
ling." 

"Shouldn't  we  tell  Mr.  Malcom  at  once?" 
she  asked,  her  eyes  firing. 

"We  should.  But — this  message.  —  perhaps 
not  until  we  are  sure  of  its  nature." 

"Yes,"  agreed  Miss  Fraser,  "it  may  not  be 
anything,  but  the  station  is  illicit;  that's  a 
Federal  violation.  How  can  we  check  this  thing 
up?  Isn't  there  some  way  to  discover  who  or 


AMERICAN  PEP  35 

what  this  is?  How  would  it  do  to  tell  Washington 
about  it?" 

"Not  by  wireless.  How  do  we  know,"  he 
considered,  "that  one  or  more  illicit  stations 
would  not  get  us?  The  only  way  would  be  to 
get  the  Washington  telegraph  wire." 

"That  wire  is  not  open  to  us  until  after  seven 
at  night." 

"Was  today  the  first  you  noticed  of  this  strange 
station?"  he  asked. 

"Yes." 

"I  believe  we  should  not  be  in  too  big  a  hurry. 
They  will  grow  bold  with  a  little  time,"  suggested 
Dorn,  seemingly  relieved  to  be  able  to  control 
his  inclination  to  undue  haste. 

"I  believe  you  are  right.  Take  time  to  think 
about  it.  I'll  be  back  soon,"  she  promised  as  she 
got  her  hat  to  go  home  to  her  evening  meal. 
This  was  her  week  to  return  at  seven  and  stay 
until  Number  22,  the  passenger,  went  east  at 
ten-fifteen. 

"I'll  wait  until  you  come  back,"  he  agreed  but 
greatly  disturbed. 

When  she  returned  he  noticed  an  increased 
agitation  in  her  manner.  "Why  is  it,"  she  began 
abruptly,  "that  Mr.  Malcom  keeps  about  him 


36  AMERICAN  PEP 

such  a  man  as  that  despicable  Whaley?  As  I 
passed  the  Barrel  House  he  and  that  foreign 
looking  photographer  were  standing  outside. 
Both  had  been  drinking  and  Whaley  called  out 
to  me."  She  shivered. 

Dorn  clenched  his  fist.  "  He'll  do  that  once  too 
often,"  he  said  savagely.  "I  detest  that  whelp. 
He's  no  kind  of  man  to  have  round  a  place  like 
this.  Mr.  Malcom  will  wake  up  to  that  fact 
sometime,  and  let's  hope  before  it  is  too  late. 
Don't  forget,"  he  spoke  more  gently,  "call  me  if 
you  want  me."  He  hesitated  near  the  door. 
"But  why  is  that  photographer  spending  his 
time  with  Whaley,  I  wonder?  Guess  I'll  just  drop 
in  at  the  Barrel  House  as  I  go  by  to  my  dinner; 
but  be  careful  —  it's  best  to  think  it  over  till 
tomorrow." 


Chapter  Four 


THE    NEXT  MORNING    DORN    EN- 
tered  the  station  heavy-eyed  and  haggard, 
yet   tensely  alert.     Miss   Eraser    looked 
up  with  a  bright  smile,  simulating  cheerfulness. 

"You  don't  look  as  if  you  slept  much  last 
night,"  she  greeted. 

"Neither  do  you."  He  returned  her  smile  as 
he  unlocked  the  ticket  cabinet. 

"I  didn't,"  she  replied.  "Has  anything  new 
developed?"  She  set  a  tomato-can  on  the  table, 
by  the  bay-window,  and  proceeded  to  arrange 
some  wild  flowers  she  had  picked  on  the  way. 

"No.  The  first  thing  is  to  go  over  to  Malcom's 
Hole  as  soon  as  Lieutenant  Pettingill  shows  up, 
and  inspect  the  goods."  He  moved  to  her  side 
as  she  bent  over  the  flowers.  "But  somehow," 
he  continued,  "I  can't  get  over  the  promptings 
of  my  sixth  sense  of  evil  omen.  I  felt  the  same 
way  the  day  I  went  through  the  bridge  just  below 


38  AMERICAN  PEP 

Bald  Eagle  Canyon."  He  looked  from  her  face 
to  the  flowers  she  was  still  arranging.  "And 
then,  too,"  he  added,  "I  wish  you  were  out  of 
this  hole.  It's  no  place  for  a  woman  like  you." 

She  flushed.  "Nothing  could  make  me  leave 
now,"  she  said  in  a  low  tone.  "Perhaps  I  can't 
do  much  to  help,  yet  it  brings  me  into  closer 
realization  of  the  barbaric  realities  of  this  war, 
and  I  must  do  all  I  can."  She  looked  at  him 
earnestly  and  watched  the  slight  up-turn  of  the 
corners  of  his  strong  mouth  that  indicated  a 
moment's  return  of  his  natural  optimism. 

"You  are  right,"  he  agreed  gently,  "the  only 
way  is  to  do  the  best  we  can  without  flinching, 
and  then  let  the  devil  do  his  worst." 

Further  conversation  was  prevented  by  a 
heavy  but  lively  tread  in  the  waiting  room,  and 
a  strong  good-natured  voice  at  the  ticket  window. 

"I  am  looking  for  Mr.  Dorn." 

"I  am  the  man,"  replied  Dorn  moving  forward. 

"I  am  Lieutenant  Pettingill,  sent  from  Wash- 
ington to  guard  a  shipment  to  an  Atlantic  port." 
The  stranger  offered  his  hand  as  he  finished  the 
self-introduction. 

"I  have  been  expecting  you,  Lieutenant  Pettin- 
gill; come  in."  Dorn  unlocked  the  door  and  the 


AMERICAN  PEP  39 

Lieutenant  entered  the  ticket  office.  Power  to 
command  men  was  stamped  on  his  face. 

"Lieutenant,  the  shipper  has  rather  an  un- 
pleasant duty  mapped  out  for  us  as  a  move 
preliminary  to  loading  this  freight,"  said  Dorn, 
after  introducing  Miss  Fraser  and  finding  a  chair 
for  the  officer. 

"What  is  that,  Mr.  Dorn?"  came  from  the 
clear-eyed,  ideal  fighting  man. 

"He  thinks  it  advisable  that  both  you  and  I 
inspect  the  physical  condition  of  the  packages, 
counting  them  while  still  in  the  factory,  and  he 
also  wants  to  acquaint  you  further  with  enough 
of  the  nature  of  the  stuff,  so  that  unusual  pre- 
cautions can  be  used  against  accident." 

"I  want  to  do  anything  at  all  that  will  make 
the  safe  delivery  of  this  product  more  certain," 
agreed  the  officer  instantly.  "If  anything  should 
happen  from  any  cause  whatever,  whether  I  am 
to  blame  or  not,  it's  hara-kiri  for  me.  I  wouldn't 
have  the  courage  to  face  my  superior.  For  that 
reason  I  was  detailed  nine  picked  men  and  a 
Petty.  Of  course  you  know  I  am  responsible 
only  when  this  car  is  incorporated  in  a  train  and 
transit  actually  begun.  However,  I  am  glad  to 
go  with  you  and  learn  more  about  this  stuff." 


40  AMERICAN  PEP 

"All  right  then,  we'll  go  to  the  office  first  and 
meet  Mr.  Malcom.  Miss  Fraser,  I  am  uncertain 
when  I  will  return,  but  should  you  need  me  call 
the  powder  works,"  he  instructed  as  he  and 
Lieutenant  Pettingill  left. 

"I  am  struck  with  the  fascinating  wildness 
of  this  place,"  began  the  Lieutenant  as  Dorn  led 
the  way  on  a  short  cut  through  the  woods  to  the 
powder  mill  office.  "I  notice,  too,  a  foreign  cast, 
or  at  least  a  primitive  appearance,  of  the  people." 

"Primitive,"  said  Dorn,  "but  American  for 
over  two  hundred  years.  And  patriots  to  the 
last  hair  of  their  heads.  A  pro- German  would 
last  as  long  here  as  a  fly  before  a  toad." 

They  emerged  from  the  wood  lot  and  came  in 
sight  of  the  low  stone  office  of  the  powder  plant, 
with  its  high  spiked  iron  fence. 

"This  man  Malcom,"  Dorn  explained,  "is 
the  last  male  descendant  of  the  Malcoms.  All 
this  section,  underlaid  with  millions  of  dollars 
worth  of  coal,  still  belongs  to  him  as  a  part  of  a 
royal  grant,  and  this  whole  town  is  made  up  of 
descendants  of  those  Scotchmen  who  worked  for 
the  original  Malcom." 

"I  suppose  he  increases  the  size  of  his  plant  to 
take  care  of  the  natural  increase  of  the  town's 


AMERICAN  PEP  41 

population,  which  must  be  several  thousand," 
ventured  Lieutenant  Pettingill. 

"That's  about  it,  and  they  are  pretty  good 
breeders,  but  every  soul  here  actually  loves 
Malcom,  acknowledging  him  as  a  sort  of  ruler, 
and  each  one  takes  a  personal  interest  in  the 
works  as  though  part  owner."  As  Dorn  talked 
they  entered  the  office.  Whaley  went  to  announce 
them. 

"This  fellow  here,"  said  Dorn  as  they  stood 
waiting,  "is  the  only  exception  to  the  rule.  Take 
a  good  look  at  him  when  he  returns.  To  me  he 
appears  like  a  sheep-killing  dog." 

"Don't  you  compliment  him.  I  happen  to 
know  what  a  sheep-killing  dog  is,"  replied  the 
Lieutenant.  He  evidently  had  taken  Whaley's 
measure  instantly,  who  now  approached  and  led 
them  to  Mr.  Malcom's  office. 

Malcom  rose  with  outstretched  hand.  "Lieu- 
tenant Pettingill,"  he  greeted,  "if  all  our  navy 
personnel  is  as  well  conditioned  as  you,  my  con- 
fidence increases."  He  turned  to  Dorn  with  the 
same  sincerity.  "And  Friend  Dorn,  how  do  you 
prosper  this  morning?" 

"Following  your  yesterday's  suggestions," 
began  Dorn  at  once,  "I  have  brought  Lieutenant 


42  AMERICAN  PEP 

Pettingill  over  to  inspect  and  count  with  me  that 
load  of  cases  before  it  leaves  your  warehouse." 

"I  still  think  it  a  wise  precaution,  and  am  very 
glad  you  both  came.  I  will  send  some  one  with 
you,  but  before  you  go  I  want  to  explain  the 
nature  of  this  product  which  has  not  yet  revealed 
itself  completely  even  to  us.  It  is  a  mighty  force 
which  appears  to  resist  analysis.  Please  step 
out  this  way  to  the  laboratory." 

Malcom  led  the  way  to  a  small  structure  com- 
pletely detached  by  two  hundred  feet,  built  like 
a  fortress  of  granite  boulders  on  the  solid  rock  of 
the  mountain  top.  He  invited  them  through  a 
door  that  would  resist  common  shot  into  a  single 
room  perhaps  twenty  by  forty  feet  whose  small 
windows  had  prismatic  glass,  preventing  an  in- 
ward view.  The  room  was  fitted  with  every 
possible  device  for  working  out  problems  in 
chemistry. 

"Now,  gentlemen,"  began  Malcom,  as  they 
stood  near  a  small  table  in  the  center  of  the 
natural  granite  floor,  "I  will  make  short  cuts, 
for  time  is  limited.  This  explosive  we  are  shipping 
has  from  twelve  to  twenty  times  greater  striking 
power  than  any  other  yet  compounded  in  com- 
mercial quantities.  We  do  not  claim  this  is  a  new 


AMERICAN  PEP  43 

invention.  Its  discovery  was  made  a  long  time 
ago  by  an  English  chemist,  who  after  many 
efforts  made  only  one  laboratory  sample.  This 
feat  he  never  was  able  to  repeat,  and  was  finally 
killed  hi  the  attempt. 

"Urged  by  the  necessities  of  this  great  war, 
my  chemist  with  three  assistants,  to  whom  all 
the  credit  is  due  for  its  completion,  worked  on 
what  records  were  left  by  the  discoverer  until 
he  was  able  to  produce  in  commercial  quantities." 

"You  are  generous  to  give  your  chemists 
credit,"  Lieutenant  Pettingill  interrupted. 

"There  is  plenty  of  honor  left  for  all  of  us, 
you  included,"  replied  he,  beaming  on  both  men. 
"Unless  it  is  safely  transported  it  is  the  same  as 
though  not  made.  Its  use  is  the  pivot  upon 
which  the  war  will  turn  in  our  favor.  However, 
that  is  only  my  opinion.  I  want  to  demonstrate 
to  you  the  difficulties  my  men  had  in  combining 
the  constituent  parts  to  make  this  deadly  ex- 
plosive. This  knowledge  will  aid  you  in  the 
handling  of  it." 

He  stepped  to  a  shelf  at  the  side,  hesitated  a 
moment  before  selecting  two  half-gallon  con- 
tainers, which  he  brought  to  a  table  in  the  center 
and  then  went  to  the  far  end  for  something  else. 


44  AMERICAN  PEP 

"He  seems  to  know  what  he's  about,"  said  the 
Lieutenant. 

"I  sincerely  hope  he  does,"  shuddered  Dorn. 
"This  is  a  place  where  chemists  have  worked  on 
explosives  for  two  hundred  years.  It's  too  much 
like  a  tomb  to  suit  with  those  great  boulders  in 
the  walls  and  those  little  windows." 

Malcom  returned  to  them  with  two  shallow 
porcelain  pans  and  placed  them  on  the  little 
table,  one  in  front  of  each  of  the  glass  containers, 
and  still  silent  and  solely  attentive  to  his  own 
movements  he  put  a  single  drop  in  the  dish 
opposite  each  glass,  then  returned  the  containers 
to  the  shelf. 

"Now,"  he  said,  "to  show  what  enemies  the 
two  fluids  are  under  ordinary  conditions  I  will 
touch  the  point  of  this  rod  to  one  and  then  to 
the  other."  Motioning  them  away  a  little  he 
picked  up  a  solid  glass  rod  drawn  to  a  needle's 
point  and  hardly  pierced  the  drop  of  one  fluid. 
Then  hesitating  a  moment  he  placed  the  point  in 
contact  with  the  other  drop  of  liquid.  There 
was  an  instant  flash  that  seemed  to  fill  the  room. 
Dorn  and  Pettingill  instinctively  covered  their 
eyes  and  turned  toward  the  door. 

"A  minute  quantity  unresisted  is  quite  harmless, 


AMERICAN  PEP  45 

but  you  get  an  idea  what  might  happen  if  even 
the  two  whole  drops  were  put  together,"  smiled 
Malcom  as  he  replaced  the  glass  rod  in  the  drawer 
from  which  he  had  taken  it. 

"And  that  flash  came  from  just  what  was  on  the 
point  of  that  rod?"  asked  Pettingill,  incredulous. 

"Just  so,"  assured  Malcom  solemnly. 

"And  others  have  made  these  two  parts,  but 
were  unable  to  combine  and  stabilize  them?" 
asked  Dorn  in  excitement. 

"Except  one,  and  that  was  an  accident  from 
which  nothing  could  be  deduced  in  the  way  of 
practice,  but  was  enough  to  prove  its  stupendous 
importance  as  an  explosive,  and  that  is  all  with 
which  my  man  had  to  work. 

"After  long,  dangerous  and  expensive  experi- 
ments he  was  able  to  unite  those  two  elements 
under  certain  favorable  vibrationless  conditions 
only  down  in  the  bottom  of  the  canyon  where  my 
factory  is  protected  by  the  natural  granite  walls. 
And  regarding  its  quick  and  safe  arrival  our 
government  as  well  as  our  allies  are  deeply 
concerned." 

"Then  you  were  able  to  succeed,  where  the 
others  failed?"  asked  Lieutenant  Pettingill. 

"Yes,  and  our  discovery  was  almost  accidental, 


46  AMERICAN  PEP 

too.  It  is  wholly  a  matter  of  vibration.  You 
might  naturally  think  this  laboratory,  with  its 
solid  stone  walls  three  or  four  feet  thick  and  its 
granite  floor  would  have  no  vibration,  but  it  is  ex- 
posed to  the  open  air  which  is  a  perfect  medium 
of  conveying  oscillations.  Of  this  even  wireless 
telegraphy  gives  us  only  a  hint.  Then  we  blasted 
a  room  out  of  the  solid  granite  at  the  bottom  of 
the  canyon.  Here  are  only  slight  physical  dis- 
turbances. It  was  that  room,  deep  in  the  solid 
rock,  my  chemists  asked  for,  to  compound  this 
most  powerful  explosive.  It  took  courage;  they 
faced  death.  Now  it  can  be  handled  with  com- 
paratively little  danger,  but  I  warn  you,"  Malcom 
hesitated  and  raised  his  hand  impressively,  "that 
while  we  know  how  to  create  one  condition  to 
detonate  it,  there  may  be,  and  I  think  there  are, 
other  ways  to  cause  it  to  explode  of  which  we 
yet  know  nothing." 

"And  that  is  why  you  counsel  great  caution, 
Mr.  Malcom?"  asked  Dorn,  realizing  more  com- 
pletely what  he  had  been  dealing  with  every  day 
in  smaller  shipments. 

"What  would  happen  if  some  of  the  unknown 
conditions  were  created  or  some  mistake  were 
made  in  your  factory?"  asked  the  Lieutenant. 


AMERICAN  PEP  47 

"I  never  dare  to  speculate  on  that,"  said 
Malcom  gravely;  "if  I  should  attempt  it,  I'd 
grow  sick  and  dizzy.  I  believe  that  the  whole 
mountain  top  would  go,  with  the  town  and 
everything  hi  it.  I  assure  you  I  consent  to 
make  it  only  as  a  patriotic  duty  and  that  its 
manufacture  will  be  discontinued  immediately 
the  war  necessity  is  absent." 


Chapter  Five 


LIEUTENANT  PETTINGILL  AND 
Dorn  turned  in  quick  appreciation  toward 
the  grizzled  manufacturer  who  thus  had 
delivered  himself.  Here  was  a  man  owning  a 
half  county  of  coal  lands,  a  good  sized  town  with 
the  powder  works  and  possessing,  more  than  all, 
the  love  and  good-will  of  every  man  in  it,  doing 
for  peace  with  liberty  for  the  world. 

Silently  by  common  consent  they  moved 
toward  the  door  of  the  fortress-like  laboratory  and 
out  into  the  sunlight. 

"Will  you  come  to  the  office  a  moment  before 
going  to  the  plant?"  asked  Malcom. 

"I  am  impressed  with  the  fact,"  broke  in  the 
Lieutenant,  "that  no  soldier  ought  to  complain 
when  he  has  to  face  bullets  only  part  of  the  time 
while  you  and  the  whole  town  are  living  in  con- 
stant danger  and  uncertainty." 

"If  there  is  merit  in  my  work  as  you  say," 
said  Malcom  quietly,  "I  am  glad.  Yet  I  take  no 


AMERICAN  PEP  49 

credit  to  myself.  My  people  all  know,  and  don't. 
I  believe  there  are  millions  of  men  who  are  doing 
as  much  and  who  are  looking  for  no  reward." 
His  mind  grasped  business  again  placidly  as  they 
reached  his  office.  "Mr.  Dorn,  I  am  able  to 
know  from  a  photograph  that  you  have  given 
us  a  good  car.  Is  this  the  one?"  He  produced 
the  print  made  by  Malvoney  for  Whaley.  "I 
use  the  camera  in  such  cases  to  make  doubly 
sure."  *• 

"B.  R.  &  B.  76533,"  Dorn  read  from  the 
photograph.  "Yes,  Mr.  Malcom,  that  is  the  car 
I  intended  for  you." 

"Very  good.  Now,  Lieutenant  Pettingill,  in 
bidding  you  goodbye  I  will  express  again  my 
earnest  desire  that  you  will  be  successful  in  your 
mission."  Malcom  shook  hands  earnestly.  "And, 
Mi.  Dorn,"  he  added,  "while  I  shall  see  you  often, 
for  your  sake  I  also  wish  a  happy  ending  to  an 
enterprise  we  shall  all  follow  with  a  fervent  in- 
terest until  it  is  reported  successful."  Malcom 
turned  to  his  desk  and  the  two  men,  in  serious 
thought,  left  him. 

The  officer  looked  about  him  curiously  as 
they  left  the  building.  "  All  the  time  I  have  been 
here,"  he  remarked,  "I  have  been  wondering 


50  AMERICAN  PEP 

where  the  big  plant  is.  I  have  seen  no  signs 
of  it." 

"You  shall  see  in  a  moment,"  replied  Dorn. 
"There,  you  can  get  a  pretty  good  view  of  it." 
They  halted  where  a  long  row  of  concrete  build- 
ings some  several  stories  high  could  be  seen. 
These  buildings  clung  to  one  side  of  the  bottom 
of  the  canyon  for  a  thousand  feet  and  resembled 
a  mud  nest  of  swallows  under  the  eaves  two  and 
three  hundred  feet  below  them.  The  narrow- 
gauge  railroad  on  the  other  side  looked  like  a 
delicate  decorative  line. 

"Great  Heavens,  man!  Is  that  where  it  is? 
It  must  be  three  hundred  feet  to  the  bottom!" 
exclaimed  the  lieutenant  as  he  stood  in  wonder. 
"Now  I  can  better  understand  what  Mr.  Malcom 
meant  when  he  said  that  the  explosive  was  com- 
pounded down  in  the  granite,  and  I  am  sure  if 
there  is  a  place  on  earth  where  there  would  be  a 
minimum  of  vibration  it  is  down  there." 

"To  me,"  said  Dorn,  "this  deep  slit  hi  these 
solid  rocks  on  the  top  of  the  mountain  was  created 
expressly  so  that  this  factory  might  be  worked  in 
the  bottom  of  it."  Dorn  led  the  way  to  the 
substantial  stairs  which  extended  to  the  bottom 
of  the  cave-like  place.  "And  before  you  get  out 


AMERICAN  PEP  51 

of  it  you  will  see  other  things  that  will  make  you 
wonder." 

"Not  to  have  an  elevator  is  primitive,"  Pet- 
tingill  remarked. 

"Yes,  but  in  avoiding  such  up-to-date  detail 
Malcom  is  able  to  accomplish  the  profound," 
smiled  Dorn. 

When  they  reached  the  bottom  they  walked 
quickly  past  the  charcoal  ovens  that  nestled 
like  immense  conical  bee  hives,  each  giving  off 
from  its  centre  a  rare  incense  of  hickory  wood 
being  converted  to  carbon.  They  passed  the 
many  powder  house  buildings  to  enter  the  high 
explosive  plant  where  they  were  met  by  the 
neat-coated  foreman,  Griggs.  He  gave  a  hand  to 
assist  Pettingill  up  to  the  waist-high  loading  plat- 
form, level  with  the  car  door  and  the  storehouse. 

"You  want  to  see  the  freight  we  are  going  to 
load  this  morning?"  The  foreman,  who  spoke 
in  a  low  pleasant  tone,  appeared  chastened  by 
constant  contact  with  the  deadly  material. 

"Yes,  Mr.  Griggs.  And  shake  hands  with 
Lieutenant  Pettingill  who  will  have  personal 
charge  of  this  shipment  while  in  transit,"  replied 
Dorn  while  his  long  legs  negotiated  the  platform 
without  effort. 


52  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Mr.  Malcom  sent  word  you  were  on  your  way 
and  I  have  been  waiting  for  you  to  see  the  load 
before  I  began  to  move  it  down  to  the  canyon 
switch  into  the  car."  Griggs  led  the  way  back 
into  the  concrete  warehouse  to  a  stock  of  small 
cases  arranged  on  the  floor  in  the  exact  manner 
they  would  occupy  a  fifty-foot  car. 

"You  seem  to  be  pretty  careful  about  packing 
them,"  said  the  Lieutenant. 

"Yes,  the  case  is  made  of  inch  hardwood 
material,  carefully  nailed  and  bound  with  strap 
iron  at  each  end."  The  foreman  went  to  the 
corner  of  the  pile  and  pushed  the  top  case  out  for 
better  inspection. 

"Each  one  weighs  about  fifty  pounds,  I  should 
judge,"  said  the  Lieutenant.  He  raised  the  corner 
of  the  little  case.  It  would  have  been  easy  to 
carry  under  the  arm  were  it  not  for  its  lead-like 
weight.  The  Malcom  trade  mark,  a  stag's  head, 
was  burned  in  each  end,  with  two  letters,  S.  H., 
below  it. 

"Yes,  fifty  pounds  net,"  replied  Griggs,  "the 
specific  gravity  of  the  product  is  so  great  that  the 
package  is  small.  You  can  easily  count  them. 
They  are  tiered  seven  high,  and  forty  long  and 
seven  wide,  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and 


AMERICAN  PEP  53 

sixty  in  all.  And,  Mr.  Dorn,  from  measuring  the 
car  you  have  sent  in,  we  calculate  that  this  is 
exactly  the  way  they  will  be  arranged,  with  a 
little  padding  of  the  car  sides.  You  can  check 
them  up  easily  after  they  are  loaded  by  this 
arrangement." 

"That  makes  it  simple  enough,"  approved 
Dorn  as  he  verified  the  amount  by  tiers. 

At  that  moment  as  if  propelled  by  a  phantom, 
a  perfectly  noiseless  flat  car  about  twenty  feet 
long  appeared  at  the  wide  door  of  the  warehouse 
on  the  narrow-gauge  track.  Its  motive  power 
was  soon  discovered  when  a  half  dozen  lusty 
workmen  raised  themselves  to  the  platform  and 
approached  the  pile  to  begin  loading. 

"All  right,  boys,  go  ahead,"  said  Griggs. 
Each  man  took  up  a  single  case  and  started  with 
it  to  the  rubber-wheeled  flat  car  outside  with  a 
sureness  of  foot  and  certainty  of  grasp  and  general 
care  that  evidently  had  become  a  habit. 

"These  boys  handle  it  carefully  enough," 
approved  Lieutenant  Pettingill  as  they  moved 
toward  the  door. 

"Yes,  they  do,"  replied  the  foreman.  "Each 
man  here  knows  full  well  what  would  happen  if 
they  make  a  mistake." 


54  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Have  you  ever  had  accidents?"  asked  Dorn. 
They  now  were  outside  on  the  platform  watching 
the  pile  of  cases  grow  on  the  flat  car. 

"We  don't  talk  of  our  inside  work,  Mr.  Dorn," 
replied  Griggs  respectfully,  "we  have  our  troubles. 
I  am  willing  to  tell  you  that.  For  reasons  we 
know  nothing  about  at  tunes  we  are  unable  to 
mix  any  of  this  stock  for  several  days." 

"You  refer  to  natural  causes?"  asked  Lieu- 
tenant Pettingill. 

"Yes,  at  such  times  the  whole  earth  seems  out 
of  tune.  The  regular  rhythm  of  vibrations  are 
disturbed  and  to  attempt  then  to  combine  the 
ingredients  of  S.  H.  is  death.  And  at  no  time  can 
we  do  anything  when  there  is  a  train  moving 
through  Bald  Eagle  Canyon.  That  it  should 
vibrate  this  whole  granite  mountain  seems  im- 
possible, but  we  know  that  it  does.  We  know  we 
have  a  sentry  all  the  time  at  each  entrance  who 
telephones  the  approach  of  a  train  going  either 
way,  and  we  have  to  suspend  operations  until  the 
train  has  gone.  And  thanks  to  the  way  you  have 
your  schedules  arranged,  Mr.  Dorn,  we  have  to 
do  most  of  this  work  at  night."  Griggs  seemed 
fascinated  into  freer  speech  by  the  stocky 
officer  in  uniform  and  the  tall,  thin  man  with 


AMERICAN  PEP  55 

the  eagle's  beak  and  close  cropped  ears  who 
leaned  toward  him  absorbing  each  word  as  he 
uttered  it. 

"Why  do  you  mark  each  case  with  S.  H. 
under  the  stag's  head?"  asked  Dorn.  The  rub- 
ber wheeled  car  before  them  had  reached  its 
complement  of  load  and  began  its  progress 
slowly,  propelled  by  man  power  toward  the 
mouth  of  the  'hole'  where  it  joined  Bald  Eagle 
Canyon,  Malcom  River  and  the  main  line  of  the 
railroad,  and  the  switch  where  they  loaded  every- 
thing for  shipment. 

"That  means  something  to  Mr.  Malcom," 
replied  Griggs.  "The  boys  here  call  it  'Sky 
High.'  And  not  a  bad  name,  either,  when  you 
know  how  wicked  it  is." 

"You  are  far  from  comforting,"  smiled  Pet- 
tiiigill  wryly,  "when  I  am  compelled  to  make 
this  lot  of  stuff  my  bed-fellow  for  about  five 
hundred  miles.  But  let  us  hope  for  the  best, 
Mr.  Griggs."  Pettingill  shook  hands  with  the 
foreman  as  he  and  Dorn  started  down  toward 
the  switch.  "Anyway,  I  have  the  comfort 
of  knowing  I  won't  be  simply  wounded,  which 
after  all  is  my  only  fear." 

They   approached   the   mouth   of   the    'hole' 


56  AMERICAN  PEP 

where  the  little  flat  car  stood  beside  a  small 
concrete  platform  opposite  the  freight  car. 

"This  'hole'  seems  to  get  deeper  as  we  go 
farther  down,"  remarked  the  Lieutenant. 

"Yes,  this  is  where  it  joins  what  is  called  Bald 
Eagle  Canyon  and  our  main  line.  You  see  now 
it  is  near  mid-day  and  yet  the  sun  hardly  gets 
into  this  hole.  It  resembles  a  well  with  its  two 
sides  knocked  out." 

"Don't  this  whole  thing  get  on  your  nerves, 
Mr.  Dorn?  For  my  part,  I'd  rather  face  the 
Bodies'  cannon."  Pettingill  stopped  as  he  heard 
the  gentle  roar  of  the  swift  moving  waters  of  the 
little  river  in  the  canyon,  where  an  ordinary 
sound  echoed  with  increasing  volume. 

"Yes,  lately  it  has  been  getting  me  hard," 
admitted  Dorn.  "But  I  should  hate  myself  as 
a  coward  if  I  quit."  Then  suddenly  he  changed 
the  subject.  "Your  Marines  will  be  up  on  the 
four-thirty  tram  this  afternoon,  Lieutenant?" 

"Yes." 

"They  will  just  about  have  the  car  loaded  by 
that  time." 

"As  soon  as  they  come  I  will  detail  a  guard 
for  it,  though  you  know  it  is  fully  understood 


AMERICAN  PEP  57 

I  am  not  responsible  officially  until  it  is  made 
part  of  the  train  and  actually  under  way." 

They  started  up  the  canyon  toward  the  station 
with  a  feeling  of  relief  that  they  were  coming  out 
of  the  'hole'  once  more  without  accident. 


Chapter  Six 


SOON  AFTER  DORN  RETURNED 
from  his  tour  of  inspection  Mr.  Malcom 
telephoned  that  the  car  would  be  loaded 
and  ready  for  his  seal  about  three. 

"All  right,"  Dorn  answered  briskly.  "Lieu- 
tenant Pettingill  will  be  here  by  that  time  and 
we  will  come  down  to  the  switch  at  once." 

"That's  good.  Griggs  will  stay  there  until 
you  verify  contents  and  conditions  and  give  him 
the  bill  of  lading.  Whaley  will  come  also  to 
get  photographs  to  attach  to  the  bill  of  lading 
and  copies,  as  soon  as  you  have  sealed  and  for- 
mally bound  the  railroad  company  for  its  safety." 

"I  shall  use  extreme  care,  Mr.  Malcom.  Lieu- 
tenant PettingilTs  squad  of  marines  will  arrive 
on  Number  22,  the  4.30  passenger,  and  he  will 
send  them  to  guard  the  car  from  the  time  they 
arrive  until  it  actually  begins  to  roll." 

"Tell  the  Lieutenant  that  I  have  provided  a 


AMERICAN  PEP  59 

'feed'  which  will  be  brought  to  the  men  in  the 
canyon  during  their  watch.  I  am  going  to  give 
them  a  Highland  Scot  style  barbecued  pig. 
It  is  roasting  now." 

"They'll  be  tickled  for  that,  Mr.  Malcom," 
Dorn  replied  laughing  as  he  hung  up  the  receiver. 

Several  times  Dorn  had  been  on  the  point  of 
expressing  his  suspicions  to  Malcom,  but  he 
felt  that  to  mention  fears  which  might  prove 
groundless  would  add  further  to  the  man's  al- 
ready heavy  worries.  But  he  determined  to 
keep  awake  to  the  possibilities  of  the  menace  and 
to  ask  for  Mr.  Malcom's  assistance  the  moment 
anything  definite  developed. 

Lieutenant  Pettingill  came  to  the  ticket  office 
on  time  and  Dorn  conveyed  to  him  Malcom's 
message. 

"Shall  we  have  time  to  go  down  and  attend 
to  the  bill  of  lading  before  the  train  with  my 
men  arrives?"  The  Lieutenant  consulted  his 
watch. 

"Yes,  I  think  so.  It  won't  take  long  and  we 
have  over  an  hour."  Dorn  then  turned  to  Miss 
Fraser.  "If  by  any  chance  we  do  not  get  back 
before  the  train  gets  in,  the  detail  of  marines 
will  wait  here  for  Lieutenant  Pettingill." 


60  AMERICAN  PEP 

"I  understand,"  Miss  Fraser  replied,  with  that 
troubled  softness  that  came  to  her  tone  every 
time  he  went  into  the  canyon. 

They  walked  to  the  platform  and  turned  west 
toward  the  guard  house  at  the  mouth  of  the 
canyon.  The  officer  halted  and  faced  about, 
evidently  attracted  by  the  peculiar  topography 
where  the  canyon  entered  into  the  little  valley, 
the  edge  of  the  site  for  Malcom  town. 

"This  is  a  most  peculiar  situation,"  he  com- 
mented. "The  railroad  and  stream  start  down 
here  as  if  they  were  going  straight  to  hell  on  a 
solid  granite  bed,  but  this  little  valley  and  the 
slope  beyond  make  an  ideal  site  for  the  town." 

"Yes,  being  at  the  top  of  the  mountain  it  is 
very  healthy.  People  never  die  up  here.  They 
just  dry  up  and  quit.  But  do  you  see  that  cliff 
off  to  the  left  there  across  the  river  from  the 
station?  I  found  a  way  to  use  it.  From  its 
top  it  is  a  sheer  descent  of  nearly  eight  hundred 
feet.  When  I  first  came  up  here,  more  to  kill 
time  than  anything  else,  I  installed  a  private 
wireless  station.  My  sending  and  receiving  wires 
you  can  see  coming  down  from  its  apex.  It  is 
one  hundred  feet  higher  than  any  government 
station  and  I  am  able  to  reach  a  long  way  with 


AMERICAN  PEP  61 

very  little  power.  I  felt  that  I  thus  was  in 
touch  with  the  great  outside  world." 

"Fine!  And  jtou  still  have  it?"  Pettingill 
turned  toward  the  guard  whom  Dorn  approached 
and  gave  the  password.  The  man  volunteered 
that  he  had  received  telephone  instructions  to 
pass  the  officer. 

"Yes,"  resumed  Dorn,  as  they  started  into  the 
canyon  on  the  main  track.  "And  when  Malcom 
heard  of  it,  instead  of  making  me  tear  it  out,  as 
he  could  have  done,  he  told  me  to  make  heavier 
wire  connections  and  draw  on  him  for  all  the 
power  I  wanted.  I  did  that  and  when  the  new 
law  went  into  effect  putting  private  wireless  out 
of  business  he  helped  me  get  an  official  O.  K. 
on  this  one  as  a  military  necessity.  He  uses  it. 
now  secretly  in  all  his  important  transactions 
with  the  government  and  elsewhere." 

They  now  rounded  a  little  curve  in  the  canyon 
and  found  Griggs  and  Whaley  waiting  for  them. 

"Are  you  ready?"  greeted  Dorn. 

"All  ready,"  replied  Griggs,  vaulting  to  the 
little  concrete  platform,  on  a  level  with  the  car 
floor.  "You  see  the  cases  are  arranged  as  I 
said  exactly  as  I  had  them  on  the  floor  of  the 
warehouse,  seven  tiers,  forty  long  and  seven  high." 


62  AMERICAN  PEP 

Captain  Pettingill  and  Dorn  joined  the  foreman 
at  the  car  door,  leaving  Whaley  on  the  ground 
to  find  a  good  angle  from  which  to  get  his  pictures. 
"That  seems  quite  right,"  replied  Dorn,  after 
he  had  climbed  in  and  carefully  counted  the  cases. 

"What  is  that  material  you  have  used  between 
the  layers?"  asked  Lieutenant  Pettingill. 

"That  is  wool  felt,"  replied  Griggs,  "the  most 
resilient  packing  we  can  find.  It  is  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  thick.  I  put  four  thicknesses  on  the 
floor  of  the  car  and  a  single  thickness  between  each 
layer,  and  this  three  inch  space  at  the  sides  and 
ends  is  completely  filled  with  it  to  protect  the 
cases  from  being  jarred.  The  felt  I  have  used 
to  pack  this  car  with  is  worth  almost  as  much 
as  a  carload  of  ordinary  powder." 

"It  ought  to  carry  that  way,  Griggs.  You 
couldn't  do  much  more  unless  we  put  in  a  baby 
carriage,"  laughed  Dorn.  He  shut  the  door 
after  Griggs  had  adjusted  an  immense  pad  of 
felt  to  fill  in  the  space  between  the  cases  and  the 
door. 

"Mr.  Dorn,  how  difficult  would  it  be  for  any 
one  to  duplicate  that  seal  you  are  putting  on?" 
asked  Lieutenant  Pettingill.  He  watched  Dorn 
as  he  shut  and  locked  the  door,  introduced  the 


AMERICAN  PEP  63 

steel  pin  in  metal  hasp,  introduced  steel  strip  and 
squeezed  the  leaden  seal,  thus  fastening  the  ends 
together  and  leaving  the  station's  number  plainly 
stamped. 

"It  would  be  quite  a  bit  of  trouble,"  answered 
Dorn.  "But  the  main  protection,  and  the  men- 
ace to  any  one  contemplating  such  an  act,  is  the 
severe  punishment  entailed.  Railroads  consider 
their  seals  as  sacred  and  mercilessly  prosecute 
under  special  statutes  provided  for  the  slightest 
infraction."  Dorn  dropped  off  the  platform  and 
started  toward  the  door  on  the  opposite  end. 
Griggs  and  Lieutenant  Pettingill  followed.  The 
same  process  of  sealing  was  repeated  there  in  their 
presence. 

"Now  as  this  car  has  solid  pressed  steel  ends 
with  no  openings,"  explained  Dorn,  "the  two 
side  doors  I  have  just  sealed  are  all  for  which 
we  have  to  look  out.  It's  all  sealed  now,  Whaley," 
he  called,  "you  can  take  your  picture." 

"Isn't  that  an  unusual  precaution?"  asked 
Pettingill  as  he  stepped  out  of  range  of  Whaley's 
camera. 

"It's  Mr.  Malcom's  rule,  and  a  good  one,  too, 
in  the  case  of  his  dangerous  freight.  It  proves 
beyond  doubt  that  each  door  was  properly 


64  AMERICAN  PEP 

sealed  and  that  the  car  was  in  first  class  con- 
dition when  loaded,  showing  that  both  the  con- 
signee and  the  consignor  have  taken  ample 
precaution  against  accidents." 

"Now,  Whaley,"  asked  Griggs,  "have  you  a 
double  exposure,  showing  both  sides  and  ends?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  promptly  replied  Whaley. 

"All  right,  now  get  a  double  exposure  at  close 
range,  showing  plainly  the  doors  locked  and  the 
seals  properly  placed." 

"From  their  attitude  toward  this  stuff  I  believe 
Mr.  Malcom's  statement  that  it  was  a  ticklish 
and  uncertain  proposition  rather  conservative, 
ventured  the  Lieutenant  with  a  wry  smile. 

"Now,  Mr.  Dorn,  is  that  all?"  Griggs  asked 
as  he  and  Whaley  returned.  "Are  we  through 
now?" 

"Yes,  it's  our  risk  now,  Griggs,"  replied  Dorn. 
"The  up- train  due  here  in  a  half  hour  will  bring 
Lieutenant  Pettingill's  marines  and  he  will  post 
a  guard  on  the  car  until  7.30  picks  it  up  tonight." 

Dorn  and  Lieutenant  Pettingill  walked  back  up 
the  canyon  mostly  hi  silence.  Dorn  halted  on 
the  track  and  looked  over  at  the  water's  edge 
at  a  huge  water  snake  near  the  bank,  and  by 


AMERICAN  PEP  65 

odd  coincidence  at  that  moment  Whaley,  too, 
slunk  along  the  canyon  side. 

Pettingill  shuddered.  "I  know  I  am  not  afraid 
of  bullets,"  he  declared.  "But  I  am  of  a  snake." 
He  stared  at  the  threatening  forked  tongue 
that  came  out  frequently. 

"I,  too,  fear  snakes,"  said  Dorn,  but  his  eyes 
were  not  on  the  reptile,  but  on  the  man  who 
slunk  past  them.  He  stooped  to  select  a 
stone  from  the  road  bed  and  with  unerring  skill 
hurled  the  stone  and  crushed  the  snake's  head. 
"I  wish  I  could  rid  the  country  of  all  its  enemies 
as  easily." 

"Whom  do  you  consider  our  worst  enemies?" 
asked  the  Lieutenant  thoughtfully. 

"Our  worst  enemies  are  not  under  arms, 
but  the  cursed  hordes  we  have  among  us,  the 
spies  and  the  cowards.  They  are  the  snakes." 

"Whaley  turned,  and  for  a  moment  the  eyes  of 
the  two  men  met, 


Chapter  Seven 


BEFORE  DORN  AND  PETTINGILL 
reached  the  station  they  heard  the  long 
shriek  of  locomotive  number  22  as  it  ap- 
proached the  lower  canyon's  entrance. 

The  officer  shuddered.  "That  sounds  like  the 
triumphant  siren  gloating  over  a  lost  soul." 

Dorn  shivered  and  tried  to  laugh  aside  his  own 
morbid  presentiment.  He  hurried  the  Lieuten- 
ant toward  the  depot  where  he  saw  Miss  Fraser 
beckoning.  The  girl  handed  him  a  telegram 
she  just  had  taken,  also  a  wireless  message  from 
Washington. 

Before  Dorn  finished  reading  the  messages  the 
train  thundered  into  the  station  and  stopped. 

The  next  moment  Petty  Officer  Starke,  followed 
by  nine  marines,  left  the  rear  car  and  gathered  on 
the  platform.  The  Lieutenant  approached  the 
little  group  and  received  their  grave  salute.  He 
issued  his  orders  in  a  few  words  and  the  men 


AMERICAN  PEP  67 

on  the  instant  formed  a  line  and  swung  down  the 
track  toward  the  car  they  were  to  guard. 

Dorn  found  that  the  messages  just  received 
were  for  Pettingill  and  handed  them  to  the 
Lieutenant  with  his  explanation.  "The  super- 
intendent says  he  will  supply  you  with  a  car  to 
be  attached  to  express  freight  seventeen.  It 
will  arrive  at  7.30  tonight  which  picks  up  this 
load  you  will  guard.  He  will  give  you  a  short 
passenger  car  with  bunks,  a  kitchen  and  a 
station  outfit  used  by  civil  engineers. 

"And  the  wireless  from  Washington,"  Dorn 
went  on,  "orders  that  every  member  of  the  tram, 
crew  shall  be  sworn  into  service.  That  is,  the 
engineer,  fireman,  conductor  and  the  three  brake- 
men  must  be  called  in  here  to  take  tne  same 
oath  that  soldiers  utter  when  they  enter  the  serv- 
ice. Both  Miss  Eraser  and  I  were  sworn  into 
military  service  before  we  were  allowed  to  send 
wireless  messages  to  Washington." 

"It's  a  fine  idea,"  agreed  the  Lieutenant,  "but 
do  you  suppose  they  '11  object?" 

"If  they  do  it's  pretty  good  evidence  their 
hearts  are  wrong.  There's  nothing  we  can  do 
now  until  the  train  comes  in  at  7.30." 

"That  being  the  case,"  said  Pettingill,  "IT! 


68  AMERICAN  PEP 

go  back  to  the  hotel  and  will  show  up  before  the 
train  is  due.    If  you  should  need  me,  telephone. 
Officer  Starke  will  look  after  things  down  here." 
•    As  he  left  the  station  both  Dorn  and  Miss 
Fraser  turned  quickly  to  the  wireless  instrument. 

"It's  that  same  call,"  she  cried,  "and  he's 
been  at  it  as  persistently  as  yesterday.  Although 
I  was  working  with  Washington  just  after  you 
left  for  the  canyon  he  seems  entirely  without 
knowledge,  or  else  is  careless  of  our  existence." 

"He  evidently  is  operating  on  stolen  current," 
said  Dorn.  "I  have  made  arrangements  with 
our  power  plant  to  cut  out  certain  wards  during 
the  day,  so  we  can  get  a  line  on  the  district  this 
fellow  is  calling  from  if  he  is  right  here.  Did  you 
notice  the  new  telephone  I  connected  last  night?" 

"Yes.    What  is  it?"          \ 

"To  avoid  any  possible  espionage  I  have  a 
private  wire  connecting  directly  with  Parsons, 
at  the  power  plant."  As  Dorn  spoke  he  made 
connection  and  the  next  moment  had  his  man. 
"Mr.  Parsons,"  he  began,  "our  friend  is  calling 
on  the  wireless  now.  You  say  you  have  four 
feed  wires  lighting  the  town?" 

"Yes,  numbered  one  to  four,  one  for  each 
ward.  There  are  only  four  wards." 


AMERICAN  PEP  69 

"  Can  you  cut  out  Ward  one?" 

"Yes,  it's  out  now." 

But  the  signals  on  the  wire  continued  to  spell 
F.  L. 

The  second  and  third  wards  were  tried  with  no 
better  result. 

"Now  we  will  try  the  fourth,  and  if  that  don't 
kill  him  he  is  not  here  or  has  his  own  power  and 
we  are  up  a  tree  to  locate  him."  Dorn  and  Miss 
Fraser  suppressed  their  excitement  and  watched 
with  bodies  held  rigid. 

"The  fourth  ward  now,  Mr.  Parsons,"  directed 
Dorn.  *• 

"We've  got  him!"  cried  the  girl  and  Dorn 
together,  for  the  signals  stopped  instantly. 

"All  right,  Mr.  Parsons,  restore  the  current 
to  Ward  four." 

Immediately  the  signals  were  resumed. 

"Now  cut  it  out  again."  And  once  more  the 
wireless  calls  died. 

"That  will  be  all,  Mr.  Parsons,"  directed 
Dorn.  "I'll  come  over  and  tell  you  about  it 
later." 

."Where  is  Ward  four?"  Miss  Fraser  ques- 
tioned. 

"It  is  this  thinly  settled  section  about  the 


70  AMERICAN  PEP 

station  and  the  mill.  But  we  won't  bother  the 
gentleman  until  we  have  learned  more  of  him. 
Only  remember  hereafter  to  have  the  fourth 
ward  cut  out  before  sending  or  answering  any 
wireless  call.  I  feel  wonderfully  relieved  now  and 
will  investigate  Ward  four  just  as  soon  as  we  get 
this  car  safely  on  its  way."  He  rose  and  com- 
menced to  pace  the  office. 

"The  fellow,  whoever  he  is,  certainly  has 
assurance  to  come  into  town  right  under  our 
noses,"  stormed  Miss  Fraser  indignantly.  "He 
must  be  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  mill.  Why !" 
she  exclaimed,  "I  believe  it  is  — "  She  hesi- 
tated as  if  reluctant  to  put  her  thought  into 
actual  words. 

"Never  mind  now,"  Dorn  advised.  "We'll 
give  the  skunk  to  the  hounds,  but  the  stage  for 
the  death  scene  isn't  set  yet.  Just  wait.  I 
should  talk  with  Mr.  Malcom  now,  but  I  don't 
dare  leave  this  machine  without  getting  that 
fellow's  message  when  his  station  answers.  I 
wish  you  knew  the  other  code." 

"I  do  know  it,"  she  replied  quickly.  "I  took 
the  code  home  last  night  and  worked  on  it  until 
nearly  morning.  I  can  manage  it  while  you  are 
gone,  I  know." 


AMERICAN  PEP  71 

"That's  bully  fine!"  he  praised  and  for  a 
moment  rested  his  hand  in  sincere  appreciation 
upon  her  arm.  She  flushed  her  pleasure  at  his 
approval  and  turned  to  the  instrument. 

He  left  at  once  fully  confident  that  she  would 
be  able  to  take  his  place. 


Chapter  Right 


AT  SEVEN-TWENTY  NUMBER  17 
approached  the  lower  end  of  Bald  Eagle 
Canyon  and  warned  the  guard  officially 
of  her  approach.  When  about  half  way  past  the 
powder  mill  switch  in  the  canyon  she  stopped, 
cut  in  about  the  center  at  the  surveyor's  car 
intended  for  the  soldiers,  went  in  on  the  siding  as 
ordered  and  got  car  Number  76533,  Buffalo, 
Rochester  and  Beaver.  Officer  Starke  moved 
his  squad  aboard,  posted  two  marines  on  top  the 
tram,  one  in  front  and  one  in  the  rear  of  it. 

While  this  was  being  done  the  Engineer  Walsh 
was  disturbed  by  the  thought  that  his  big  Mogul 
would  not  be  able  to  start  his  immense  load  up 
the  canyon  grade.  But  by  the  tune  they  were 
coupled  she  was  hissing  from  her  safety  valve  an 
injunction  magnified  a  thousand  times  by  the 
canyon  walls.  When  he  gave  her  the  vapor  she 
let  out  a  shout  that  pierced  the  deadly  stillness 
of  the  canyon  and  reached  the  heavens.  Its 


AMERICAN  PEP  73 

shout  echoed  and  re-echoed,  as  she  labored  with 
resonant  protests  and  emerged  as  a  blazing, 
furiously  enraged  dragon  from  its  lair,  barely 
able  to  haul  its  long,  snake-like  body  from  its 
rock  retreat. 

Miss  Fiaser  nodded  to  Dorn  who  was  talking 
to  Lieutenant  Pettingill.  He  went  to  the  plat- 
form and  as  the  steel  leviathan  slowly  passed  him 
he  handed  Engineer  Walsh  a  note,  asking  him 
and  his  fireman  to  come  to  the  station  as  soon  as 
he  stopped. 

"Come  in,  Larz,"  he  called  when  Larson,  the 
conductor,  appeared  at  the  window  for  train 
orders.  "Larz,  this  is  Lieutenant  Pettingill," 
Dorn  continued,  introducing  the  two  men.  "His 
Government  orders  supersede  train  orders  over 
the  entire  division  so  far  as  your  train  is  concerned. 
If  at  any  tune  they  conflict  ask  the  division  super- 
intendent for  instructions.  He  wants  the  car 
of  explosives  he  is  guarding  on  the  end  of  the 
train  between  your  way  car  and  the  Surveyor's 
car  for  his  men." 

"But,"  protested  Larson,  "we  always  carry 
that  stuff  in  the  middle  of  the  train.  I  can't 
place  it  next  to  the  caboose.  What's  the  use 
shifting?  It's  in  the  middle  of  the  train  now." 


74  AMERICAN  PEP 

The  conductor  evidently  resented  the  Lieutenant's 
superiority. 

"That's  his  orders,  Larz,  old  boy,  military 
orders,  and  have  got  to  be  obeyed." 

Larson  did  not  respond  to  Dorn's  good-natured 
slap  on  his  broad  shoulder.  Miss  Fraser  watched 
the  men  anxiously.  To  her  Larson  was  a  for- 
eigner and  his  name  indicated  a  Swede.  Though 
she  had  seen  him  nearly  every  day  since  she  came 
to  the  station  she  could  not  overcome  a  dislike 
for  his  stolid  face.  She  did  not  understand  the 
manifest  attachment  between  this  man  and  Dorn. 

Engineer  Pat  Walsh's  great  bulk  came  through 
the  door  followed  by  his  fireman. 

"What's  up  now,  Dorney?"  he  called. 

"Nothing  very  serious,  Pat.  This  car  you  got 
at  the  powder  mill  has  a  military  guard,  and  as 
a  further  precaution  the  whole  tram  crew  must  be 
sworn  into  the  service." 

"Nothing  wrong  to  that.  Go  ahead  and 
shoot!"  grinned  Walsh.  He  went  to  Lieutenant 
Pettingill  who  stood  back  of  Larson  and  shook 
hands. 

"It's  only  a  military  necessity,  making  every 
man  responsible.  A  protection  really,"  explained 
the  Lieutenant. 


AMERICAN  PEP  75 

"Ail  right,  line  up  here  and  Lieutenant  Pet- 
tingill  will  administer  the  oath  to  every  one  at 
once,"  said  Dorn.  He  motioned  the  three  brake- 
men  outside  to  come  hi  together  with  the  big 
engineer  and  the  fireman.  Larson  made  no  move 
to  get  up. 

"Come  on,  Larz,  you  are  delaying  the  game," 
prodded  Dorn  good-naturedly. 

But  Larson  sat  glaring  with  a  sullen  resentment 
from  Dorn  to  Pettingill. 

"You  say  I  got  to  be  sworn  into  the  army?" 

"Yes,  and  hurry  up,  Swede,  we  are  losing  time. 
We  ought  to  be  rolling,"  broke  in  Walsh. 

"And  you  say  you  want  to  put  that  load  of 
stuff  back  next  to  my  way-car?"  he  asked,  ignor- 
ing Walsh.  "I  work  for  the  railroad  and  not 
for  the  government.  I  don't  want  to  be  a  soldier." 

"You  don't  understand,  Larz,"  coaxed  Dorn 
resting  his  hand  on  his  shoulder  convincingly. 
"It  is  only  for  this  trip  and  is  done  to  cover 
one  chance  in  a  thousand  that  there  might  be 
trouble." 

Larson  shook  his  head  like  a  balky  mule. 
Miss  Fraser,  who  was  sitting  at  the  operating 
table  rose  and  turned  on  the  light,  and  then 
resumed  her  seat,  facing  Larson. 


76  AMERICAN  PEP 

"I'll  go  over  the  road  and  run  my  train  as 
I  always  do,"  the  conductor  growled,  "but  I 
won't  swear  to  be  a  soldier.  I  don't  believe  in 
this  war,5'  he  finally  blurted. 

*"Larz,  you  aren't  serious,  are  you?  I  am 
under  service  oath,  so  is  Miss  Fraser." 

"I  meant  it,  and  what's  more  I  won't  ride  with 
that  car  next  to  me.  I  know  what  the  damned 
stuff  is.  There  is  enough  in  that  car  to  blow 
everything  to  hell  within  twenty  miles.  It's 
got  to  stay  in  the  middle  of  the  train  where  it  is," 
he  ended  desperately. 

^Larz,  can  it  be  possible,"  pleaded  Dorn,  "that 
you  are  going  back  on  the  government  at  a  time 
like  this?"  He  rested  his  hand  more  heavily 
on  his  old  comrade's  shoulder.  He  bent  low  to 
study  his  face.  "I  won't  believe  it.  I  have 
thought  of  you  as  my  life-long  friend  ever  since 
the  time  I  went  through  WLLV  Malcom's  River 
bridge  and  you  swam  into  the  water  to  drag  me 
out.  Larz,  a  man  who  would  do  that  must  have 
a  heart  big  enough  to  serve  the  government  that 
is  protecting  you.  Tell  me  it  isn't  so,  and  stand 
up  and  be  sworn  with  the  rest  of  the  boys." 

Larson  shook  his  head  and  looked  down  at  the 
floor. 


AMERICAN  PEP  77 

"Suppose  there  is  some  danger?"  Dorn  went 
on.  "I  think  there  is,  but  are  you  better  than 
Lieutenant  Pettingill  and  his  men  who  are  giving 
up  all  their  time  to  make  this  world  a  safer  place 
to  live  in?  Are  you  better  than  the  men  who 
work  in  the  factory  where  this  necessary  evil  is 
made,  or  better  than  Miss  Fraser  who  works 
within  reach  of  it  all  the  time?  Think,  man, 
think  what  you  are  doing!  You  are  killing 
yourself  with  the  company  and  your  friends." 

"I  may  be  killing  myself  with  the  company  or 
with  any  one  else,  but  I'd  rather  live  and  let 
them  that  want  to,  have  this  dead  hero  stuff," 
Larson  said  between  his  teeth.  Dorn's  plea  had 
made  no  impression  whatever.  The  conductor's 
bullet  shaped  head  seemed  to  shrink  and  settle 
down  in  his  bull-like  neck. 

"Dorn,  you  are  wasting  your  time,"  cut  in 
Engineer  Walsh  disgustedly.  "He  has  been  a 
complete  damn  fool  lately.  Only  tonight  before 
we  left  I  told  him  that  if  he  didn't  quit  shooting 
off  his  mouth  about  Germany  he'd  get  a  job 
behind  the  barb-wire." 

"Larz,  think  again,"  still  pleaded  Dorn  with 
a  real  tremor  in  his  tone.  He  was  unwilling  to 
give  up  easily  a  man  who  he  believed  had  saved 


78  AMERICAN  PEP 

his  life  and  with  whom  he  had  worked  many 
years. 

"I  don't  care  what  you  do,"  doggedly  insisted 
the  Swede,  "but  I'll  not  swear  to  be  a  soldier." 

"All  right,  Lieutenant  Pettingill,"  said  Dora, 
"I've  gone  as  far  as  I  can  with  a  man  who  won't 
stand  by  his  country.  All  other  qualities  sink 
into  insignificance.  I  am  through.  What  do 
you  suggest?" 

"First,  I  will  administer  the  oath  to  the  others 
and  then  we  will  consider.  For  the  time  being 
Larson  will  consider  himself  under  arrest."  Pet- 
tingill proceeded  to  swear  in  the  rest  of  the  crew. 

Dorn  turned  to  the  head  brakeman.  "While 
we  are  waiting,"  he  said,  "shift  B.  R.  &  B.  76533 
and  the  marines'  car  back  to  the  tail-end,  next 
to  the  way  car.  Is  that  all  right,  Pop?" 

"Sure!"  agreed  the  big  engineer,  as  they 
started. 

The  entire  crew  seemed  depressed  by  Larson's 
attitude,  not  too  sure  that  there  was  not  something 
sinister  behind  it. 

Miss  Fraser  knew  there  was  trouble  ahead. 
She  remained  sitting  hi  front  of  her  instrument. 
Dorn  sat  near  her  and  bent  his  head  in  his  hands, 
suffering  regret  and  disappointment.  Lieutenant 


AMERICAN  PEP  79 

Pettingill  saw  only  a  big  Swede  who  showed 
hostility  toward  his  country,  but  Dorn  sensed 
the  loss  of  a  man  who  had  been  his  friend. 

The  girl  glanced  at  the  clock  nervously.  Its 
hands  were  steadily  measuring  off  the  precious 
time  and  no  one  broke  the  tensity  of  the  stillness. 

Dorn  finally  raised  his  face  from  his  long, 
powerful  fingers,  thrusting  them  through  his 
hair  in  a  final  effort  to  conquer  himself.  Then  he 
turned  to  Larson. 

"Larz,"  he  began,  "are  you  going  to  disgrace 
yourself  by  being  a  jackal  for  the  country's 
enemies?  Are  you  going  to  be  branded  as  a 
pacifist,  a  conscientious  objector,  which  is  only 
another  name  for  a  white-livered  spineless  stink- 
ing skunk,  willing  to  muddy  the  water  in  which 
other  men  work,  who  ought  to  be  put  in  the  mines, 
hi  servitude,  or  to  hear  the  crack  of  a  rifle  pointed 
directly  to  that  organ  which  pumps  his  tainted, 
snakish  blood?  Pull  yourself  together,  Larz. 
Be  at  least  a  part  of  a  man  before  it  is  too  late." 
As  Dorn  bent  his  long  body  to  look  into  Larson's 
face  his  peculiar  nose  and  entire  attitude  re- 
minded Miss  Fraser  of  a  motherly  eagle  pleading 
with  her  recalcitrant  young. 

"I'm  not  going  to  die  with  my  boots  on,  nor 


8o  AMERICAN  PEP 

be  blown  to  hell,  either,"  Larson  blurted.  "I 
can  go  back  to  the  old  country  where  they  don't 
want  to  fight.  Yesterday,  a  train  crew  at  the 
other  end  of  the  division  was  in  the  way  car, 
and  a  car  next  them  exploded.  They  found  the 
trucks  of  the  car  a  mile  away.  The  men  went  to 
dust.  You  can  do  what  you  want  with  me,  but 
I  won't  ride  next  to  that  car." 

"All  right,  Larz."  Dorn  rose  definite,  forceful 
and  disgusted.  "The  best  I  can  say  is  that  it 
is  miserable  cowardice.  I  hope  nothing  worse. 
Miss  Fraser,  please  call  up  the  division  super- 
intendent." 

At  that  moment  a  Marine  approached  Lieu- 
tenant Pettingill  and  saluted. 

"Mr.  Dorn,"  said  the  Lieutenant,  "are  you 
through  with  this  man?"  he  jerked  his  thumb 
contemptuously  toward  the  conductor. 

"You  have  witnessed  my  attempt  to  save  him. 
He  won't  let  me,  or  perhaps  he  is  in  too  deep. 
My  duty  now  is  plain  enough."  Dorn  listened 
as  Miss  Fraser  called  the  superintendent's  office. 

"Dawson,"  called  Lieutenant  Pettingill  to  the 
marine.  "You  are  guarding  this  man.  If  he 
attempts  to  escape,  shoot  him."  He  then  turned 
to  Dorn.  "Shall  he  stay  here?" 


AMERICAN  PEP  81 

"Yes,  until  I  hear  from  the  superintendent." 
Miss  Eraser's  hands  paused  and  the  operator  at 
the  other  end  of  the  division  opened  the  circuit. 
Dorn  motioned  for  her  to  give  the  message  and 
he  heard  her  tell  the  superintendent  that  Larson 
refused  to  put  the  car  of  explosives  next  to  the 
way  car  as  ordered  by  Lieutenant  Pettingill  and 
that  he  refused  to  take  the  soldier's  oath.  With- 
out an  instant's  delay  as  though  the  information 
had  been  anticipated,  came  the  reply. 

"Ask  Washington  for  disposition  of  Larson  and 
wire  what  war  office  says.  Will  advise  soon  who 
is  to  proceed  in  charge  of  the  train." 

Dorn  repeated  the  message  to  Lieutenant 
Pettingill. 

"That  is  just  what  I  was  going  to  suggest. 
If  you  —  "  He  stopped  instantly  at  a  sign  from 
Dorn,  recalling  that  even  to  the  trainmen  the 
wireless  station  was  a  secret.  "Dawson,"  he 
directed,  "take  your  prisoner  to  the  car  where 
you  are  quartered." 

Larson  was  forced  to  the  door  with  the  pointed 
steel  not  more  than  six  inches  from  his  back. 
He  did  not  have  far  to  go.  The  car  with  its 
erratic  load  was  now  directly  in  front  of  the 
station.  Miss  Fraser  and  Dorn  looked  out  upon 


82  AMERICAN  PEP 

the  grim  spectacle.  The  light  from  where  they 
sat  focused  on  the  scene. 

Coupled  to  the  menacing  Number  76533  B.  R. 
&  B.  was  a  car  with  ten  men  who  were  laughing 
and  joking  though  they  well  knew  the  nature  of 
their  charge  and  its  full  possibilities.  Back  of 
them  was  the  trainmen's  way  car  with  three 
brave  men  who  faced  danger  and  death  con- 
tinually calm  and  good-natured.  In  contrast 
was  the  cowering  sullen  prisoner  who  scowled  his 
rebellion  and  fear. 

Miss  Fraser  looked  up  at  Dora  who  stood  by  her 
side  and  he  smiled  into  her  grave  eyes.  Sentries 
on  guard  paced  both  sides  of  the  car  in  front  of 
them  with  rifles  at  a  suggestive  angle. 

Dorn  stepped  back  to  his  desk  and  called  the 
powder-mill  office  and  asked  for  the  man  in 
charge  of  the  power  plant. 

"I  have  to  work  with  the  coast,"  he  said,  "and 
will  pull  on  you  pretty  hard  for  a  while.  I  am 
suspicious  of  the  fourth  ward  as  I  intimated 
yesterday.  Though  it's  quite  dark  now  you  can 
cut  it  out  while  I  am  working?" 

"That  would  leave  the  whole  ward  in  the  dark." 

"Yes,  but  it  may  not  be  for  long.  I  am  afraid, 
and  it  is  imperative  to  work  with  Washington." 


AMERICAN  PEP  83 

"I  can  connect  you  with  Mr.  Malcom's  resi- 
dence. I'd  rather  you  would  get  his  consent." 

"All  right,  do  that  as  quick  as  you  can." 

In  a  moment  more  Mr.  Malcom  was  called. 

"Mr.  Malcom,"  Dorn  commenced,  "I  don't 
like  to  disturb  — " 

"I'm  glad  you  called,"  interrupted  the  manu- 
facturer. 

"The  train  picked  up  the  car  in  the  canyon," 
Dorn  went  on,  "and  has  it  here  on  the  track  now, 
but  is  delayed  because  the  conductor  refused 
to  ride  in  the  tram  next  to  it,  or  to  take  oath. 
He  has  been  put  under  arrest.  The  superintend- 
ent requested  me  to  ask  Washington  for  his 
disposition  but  —  " 

"That's  bad.  Do  you  think  there  may  be 
others  involved?" 

"I  don't  know.  I  hope  not.  But  I  would 
like  to  play  safe.  One  or  two  things  have  hap- 
pened lately  to  make  me  uneasy,  but  I  do  not 
think  they  have  any  connection  with  the  conduc- 
tor's attitude." 

"I  am  sorry  you  didn't  mention  your  suspicions, 
Mr.  Dorn.  These  are  unusual  times.  What  are 
they?" 

"I  have  reason  to  believe  that  there  is  an  un- 


84  AMERICAN  PEP 

lawful  wireless  station  near  here  using  your  cur- 
rent. For  that  reason  I  have  asked  to  have  the 
current  cut  off  from  the  fourth  ward." 

"Why  the  fourth?  They  would  be  in  the 
dark." 

"From  my  incomplete  experiments  I  believe 
the  illicit  wireless  is  in  that  ward  and  that  he 
does  not  know  of  our  existence." 

"Well,  I  think  the  people  better  be  left  without 
lights  than  without  a  home.  The  train  and 
everything  waits  for  that?" 

"Yes.  Unless  we  take  a  chance  of  revealing 
ourselves  to  the  stranger,"  replied  Dorn. 

"Go  ahead,  then.  I  will  give  orders  immedi- 
ately. Let  me  know  the  outcome  of  the  matter." 

"Just  as  soon  as  I  can  get  this  train  away  I 
will  call  you,  Mr.  Malcom." 

Miss  Fraser,  anticipating  Dorn's  wishes,  went 
into  the  wireless  booth  and  threw  in  the  switch 
that  gave  the  instrument  access  to  almost  the  en- 
tire world.  First  she  listened  a  moment  to  see 
if  there  was  anything  coming.  As  nothing  was 
evident  she  began  to  signal  Washington.  Dorn 
dropped  into  a  chair  and  commenced  to  write 
the  message. 

The  war  office  soon  responded,  received  the 


AMERICAN  PEP  85 

message  and  asked  her  to  hold  the  communica- 
tion for  answer.  Their  reply  came  in  a  few 
minutes  in  the  form  of  an  order  to  Lieutenant 
Pettingill. 

"Deliver  prisoner  to  marshal  when  you  arrive 
Harrisburg  with  names  of  witnesses." 

"When  do  we  get  to  Harrisburg?"  asked  Lieu- 
tenant Pettingill.  "Larson  will  have  to  ride  in 
that  car  for  awhile,  after  all.  And  if  there's  a 
plot  he  will  be  a  victim,  too." 

"Harrisburg  is  on  your  route  one  hundred, 
or  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  here,"  Dorn 
replied.  He  then  telephoned  the  power  station 
to  restore  the  current  to  ward  four. 

Miss  Fraser  went  immediately  to  the  key  and 
called  the  superintendent  to  give  him  the  orders 
from  Washington. 

"Is  seventeen  ready?"  he  asked. 

Dorn  heard  the  question  and  nodded.  He 
wondered  how  he  was  going  to  supply  a  conductor 
for  the  tram.  As  if  in  answer  the  superintendent's 
order  came.  As  the  girl  transcribed  it  she  turned 
to  Dorn  with  a  look  of  real  apprehension. 

"Jackson  Dorn",  she  said  aloud  in  reading  the 
message,  "Take  the  place  of  conductor  Larson 
over  this  division,  and  then  remain  with  car  and 


86  AMERICAN  PEP 

guard  until  tidewater  destination,  in  authority 
over  regular  conductor." 

"Well,"  she  drew  a  sharp  breath,  "I  wasn't 
expecting  that!" 

But  to  Dorn  the  message  came  as  a  relief.  It 
meant  action.  As  Betty  saw  his  firm  mouth  set 
and  the  light  flame  into  his  eyes,  her  own  face 
cleared  and  the  color  returned  to  her  cheeks. 

"After  all,"  she  said  gently,  "It's  better 
for  you.  It  gives  you  a  chance  to  do  more  for 
the  country.  I  almost  envy  you.  I  wish  I 
could  go,  too." 

"So  do  I,"  said  Dorn,  but  his  eyes  conveyed 
a  meaning  which  the  girl's  words  had  not  ex- 
pressed. 

"And  you'll  see  it  through.  I  know  you  will," 
she  ended  firmly. 

"I'll  try  mighty  hard,"  promised  Dorn.  "I 
know  you'll  be  watching." 


Chapter  Nine 


DORN  HAD  TIME  TO  GIVE  MISS 
Fraser  only  a  few  brief  instructions 
before  he  left  with  the  train.  After  he 
had  gone  she  sat  in  the  ticket  office  and  watched 
the  red  tail  light  of  number  Seventeen  grow 
smaller  and  smaller  until  it  finally  vanished 
around  a  curve.  Not  until  then  did  she  realize 
that  the  full  burden  and  responsibility  of  two  per- 
sons were  upon  her,  and  though  not  frightened  she 
wondered  if  she  would  come  through  unscathed. 

The  first  thing  she  did  was  to  call  Mr.  Malcom 
on  his  private  telephone  to  comply  with  his 
request  to  know  results. 

"That  leaves  you  with  double  work  until  Mr. 
Dorn  returns?"  he  said  solicitously. 

"Yes,  but  he  will  be  back  in  two  or  three  days. 
I  think  I  can  manage." 

"I  will  send  my  man  Whaley  to  you  in  the 
morning.  Use  him  for  any  kind  of  running  about 
you  need." 


88  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Malcom,"  she  replied,  al- 
though she  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  Whaley 
being  near  her. 

"I  suppose  you  know  all  of  Dorn's  suspicions 
concerning  an  illicit  radio  station?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,  I  called  his  attention  to  the  first  sus- 
picious circumstances." 

"Do  you  think  you  can  protect  yourself  and 
conceal  our  station?" 

"I  think  so.  I  shall  be  very  careful,  Mr. 
Malcom." 

"Did  Washington  give  you  anything  but  bare 
instructions?" 

"Only  a  word  direct  to  Lieutenant  Pettingill 
that  a  transport  loaded  for  a  port  in  France  and 
carrying  a  large  number  of  soldiers  was  out  in 
the  stream  in  Hampton  Roads  off  Newport 
News,  waiting  only  for  this  freight  before  sail- 
ing, and  cautioned  great  care  and  every  possible 
dispatch." 

"Thank  you,  Miss  Fraser.  Call  me  any  time 
for  either  help  or  advice  while  Mr.  Dorn  is  away. 
I  will  have  all  lines  running  to  your  station  in- 
spected tomorrow,  to  be  sure  our  telephone 
communications  are  not  overheard,  or  your  radio 
connections  interfered  with.  We  also  will  try  to 


AMERICAN  PEP  89 

discover  where  this  stranger  station  is  and  what 
he  wants  here." 

Miss  Fraser  thanked  the  manufacturer  and 
turned  from  the  telephone.  She  felt  strangely 
tired  and  locked  up  the  station  and  went  home. 

The  next  morning  Whaley  was  at  the  ticket 
window  as  soon  as  she  opened  the  office. 

"I  shall  not  need  to  bother  you  this  morning, 
Mr.  Whaley,"  she  said.  "If  I  want  you  I  will 
telephone." 

"Yes,  certainly,  just  call  me  at  the  office  any 
time,"  replied  Whaley  quickly.  "How  long  will 
Mr.  Dora  be  away?"  "I  don't  know."  She 
unlocked  the  ticket  cabinet  and  glanced  at  the 
red  nose  that  appeared  more  hectic  than  usual. 
The  hardening  of  her  mouth  informed  Whaley 
that  further  sociable  overtures  were  useless. 

"Well,  any  time  you  want  me,  just  telephone," 
he  leered  and  left  the  station. 

Later  in  the  morning  she  saw  Malvoney, 
the  photographer,  approaching  down  the  track. 
She  recalled  with  some  misgivings  the  recent 
intimacy  she  had  noticed  between  Whaley  and 
the  photographer.  Malvoney  entered  the  station 
and  asked  for  a  telegraph  blank.  While  he  was 
writing  at  the  ticket  window  she  took  note  of  his 


90  AMERICAN  PEP 

dark,  heavy  face,  his  small  eyes  dulled  by  habitual 
subterfuge  and  his  long  pointed  nose  above  the 
thick  scarlet  lips. 

"I  am  anxious  to  have  this  message,  an  order 
for  supplies,  rushed  through,"  he  began.  ' 

"Do  you  want  to  prepay?"  she  asked  after 
counting  the  words. 

"I  will  prepay,"  he  replied  and  produced  the 
sixty-five  cents  she  named.  She  dropped  the 
silver  in  the  drawer  and  turned  to  her  instrument 
table. 

The  man  hesitated  and  for  a  few  moments  con- 
tinued to  consult  a  small  note-book  he  held  hi 
his  hand. 

"Pretty  tiresome  work,  isn't  it?"  he  smiled 
pleasantly.  "Don't  see  you  down  in  the  village 
much."  " 

Miss  Fraser  merely  smiled  and  continued  her 
work  at  the  table. 

"Don't  you  ever  have  any  photographs  taken?" 
Malvoney  persisted.  "I  believe  your  name  is 
Miss  Fraser.  I  have  never  been  honored  by  you 
yet.  I  do  good  work  and  as  I  send  messages 
occasionally  I  will  be  glad  to  favor  you  with 
a  special  price." 

"What  are  your  prices?"  she  asked,  yet  without 
interest. 


AMERICAN  PEP  91 

"If  you  come  I  will  make  the  charge  so  small, 
you  will  be  surprised.  In  return  you  can  favor 
me  by  hurrying  my  telegrams." 

A  quick  thought  came  to  Miss  Fraser  and  she 
looked  up  with  a  more  interested  glance.  "I 
go  near  your  tent  on  my  way  home  and  I  may 
drop  in,"  she  promised,  wondering  his  order  for 
supplies  were  in  cipher  as  she  had  just  noticed. 

She  was  secretly  glad  of  this  opportunity  to 
confirm  suspicions  that  suddenly  formed. 

"I  am  there  nearly  all  the  tune  and  I  shall  look 
for  you.  Can't  you  drop  in  today?  It  happens 
I  have  little  to  do  and  I  will  give  you  special 
attention." 

"I'll  see,"  she  replied,  then  turned  definitely 
to  her  instruments. 

Near  noontime  she  received  a  code  answer  to 
his  purported  order  for  supplies.  When  she 
started  for  her  noon  meal  she  decided  to  deliver 
the  message  herself.  She  felt  the  lure  of  adven- 
ture. Her  arrival  at  his  tent  excited  another 
exhibition  of  servility. 

"I  am  twice  delighted,  Miss  Fraser,"  he  said 
and  skilfully  opened  the  telegram.  "Glad  you 
have  honored  me  by  bringing  the  message,  and 
glad  to  hear  that  my  supplies  are  coming."  He 


92  AMERICAN  PEP 

offered  his  chair  and  bent  forward  in  exaggerated 
supplication. 

"I  cannot  stop,  Mr.  Malvoney,"  she  protested, 
but  acknowledged  his  politeness  by  sitting  on  the 
edge  of  the  chair. 

"Can't  you  spare  me  just  a  minute?  I  have 
everything  ready  and  I  can  get  a  negative  or  two 
of  you  in  just  a  moment.  I  know  you  will  take 
a  beautiful  picture.  Won't  you  come  in  just 
a  moment  now?  Then  when  you  return  this  way 
after  your  luncheon  I  will  show  you  the  negative 
and  perhaps  a  proof."  He  moved  suggestively 
toward  the  canvas  door  into  the  space  arranged 
for  his  camera. 

"I  really  shouldn't  just  now,"  she  protested, 
but  followed  him  inside.  In  a  moment  more  she 
was  sitting  before  Malvoney 's  camera. 

She  was  such  a  good  subject  he  told  her,  and 
after  more  hollow  protestations  of  delight  he 
bowed  her  out  of  his  tent.  She  went  home  with 
a  distinct  feeling  of  uneasiness  and  dissatis- 
faction and  suspicion.  Yet  she  retained  such  a 
keen  impression  that  the  man  practiced  duplicity 
that  she  decided  to  see  it  through.  Therefore 
she  stopped  on  her  way  back  as  agreed  to  look 
at  the  proofs. 


AMERICAN  PEP  93 

Her  rap  on  the  wooden  door  brought  no  re- 
sponse. Evidently  she  had  returned  sooner  than 
he  expected.  She  waited  a  moment,  then  caught 
her  breath  and  leaned  forward  against  the  door 
to  listen.  Through  the  thin  board  and  canvass 
there  came  to  her  the  distinct  click  of  a  wireless 
instrument.  As  if  transfixed  she  began  to  follow 
the  call  and  learned  it  was  in  code,  but  as  if 
burned  with  a  branding  iron  in  her  memory  came 
the  familiar  letters  H  —  S,  and  then  the  mes- 
sage stopped. 

A  louder  rap  on  the  door  brought  a  quick  scurry 
from  within  and  she  heard  the  moving  of  some 
heavy  piece  of  furniture,  evidently  the  shield  for 
the  wireless  cabinet.  Malvoney's  sleek  face  ap- 
peared from  the  rear.  He  apologized  profusely 
for  keeping  her  waiting  and  was  noticeably 
excited. 

"I  knew  you  would  be  in  a  hurry,"  he  said, 
"and  as  I  had  a  good  sun  I  printed  from  each  of 
the  negatives.  When  you  get  into  a  mild  light 
examine  them."  He  handed  her  a  large  envelope. 
"Tomorrow  you  can  tell  me  which  one  you  like 
best  or  I  will  be  pleased  to  finish  all  of  them,  for 
they  are  as  I  was  sure  they  would  be,  magnif- 
icent pictures.  They  couldn't  be  otherwise,"  he 
flattered. 


94  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Very  well,  Mr.  Malvoney,"  smiled  the  girl. 
"I  shall  let  you  know  as  soon  as  I  decide."  She 
sensed  his  hurry  to  have  her  go  and  she  was  as 
eager  to  be  gone.  She  hated  herself  for  smiling. 
She  sped  to  the  station  and  rushed  to  the  wireless 
cabinet.  She  threw  hi  the  switch  and  the  instru- 
ment began  its  distinct  story.  She  wrote,  but 
as  before,  the  message  was  in  cipher. 

Although  passengers  pounded  on  the  window 
for  tickets  for  an  approaching  train  she  stayed  in 
the  cabinet,  her  breath  coming  quick  and  deep. 
She  felt  as  if  she  were  in  the  presence  of  an  im- 
pending catastrophe,  or  within  striking  distance 
of  a  venomous  reptile.  She  secured  in  the  cipher 
reference  to  S  —  H  and  also  an  evident  reference 
to  Whaley. 

She  went  about  her  duties  for  the  next  half 
hour  with  weak  knees  and  pounding  heart. 
Her  nerves  were  at  highest  tension,  for  at  any 
moment  either  the  wire  or  the  wireless  might 
send  out  their  halting  dots  and  dashes  and  bring 
to  her  some  fearful  information  concerning  tragedy 
to  Dorn  and  his  train. 

Vaguely  she  saw  the  passengers  moving  about 
the  station.  She  sold  tickets  and  answered 
questions  with  mechanical  exactness.  The  mid- 


AMERICAN  PEP  95 

day  passenger  train  arrived  and  departed  and 
the  station  was  again  deserted.  When  the  last 
person  had  gone  she  dropped  into  Dorn's  chair 
and  rested  her  hot  face  on  her  hands.  She 
wanted  him  out  there  in  the  action.  She  was  glad 
he  could  serve,  yet  something  within  her  seemed 
choked  and  depressed.  She  wished  him  there. 

But  she  was  brought  back  to  realities  by  the 
first  stroke  of  the  wireless  receiver  as  the  station 
east  of  her  began  calling  for  the  ordnance  depart- 
ment of  the  government  at  Washington.  She 
waited  for  Washington  to  answer  and  receive 
the  message. 

She  steeled  herself  to  bear  bravely  whatever 
she  might  hear  and  went  into  the  booth.  She 
shut  the  door  as  if  to  hide  from  prying  eyes  when 
Washington  replied  "ready."  Her  pencil  began 
to  trace  the  message.  The  light  wood  was  as 
heavy  in  her  hand  as  a  bar  of  steel,  but  it  changed 
in  a  moment  to  an  instrument  of  inspiration  as 
the  message  ended. 

"Harrisburg,  Pa. 

Ordnance  Car  B.  R.  &  B.  76533  with  guard 
was  incorporated  in  special  freight  and  leaving 
here  without  incident  at  12.15.  Prisoner  Larson 

delivered  to  marshal  here.          T    ,         ^.       „ 

Jackson  Dora. 


Chapter   Ten 


DORN  REALIZED  THAT  IT  WAS  A 
signal  honor  to  be  delegated  to  take 
charge  of  a  train  in  such  circumstances. 
Though  unable  to  distinguish  signals  reliably 
after  his  accident  he  could  have  the  head  brake- 
man  verify  those  that  were  important.  Dorn 
had  run  over  the  division  for  a  long  time  and 
knew  every  crosstie  in  it. 

All  through  the  night  they  were  given  the 
right-of-way.  The  morning  saw  them  rushing 
down  the  western  branch  of  the  Susquehanna, 
Stopping  for  nothing  but  coal  and  water.  At 
eleven-thirty  they  rolled  into  Harrisburg,  where 
they  would  get  a  relief  crew  that  must  be  sworn 
in  as  had  the  others. 

Marines  guarded  Larson  hi  regular  watches 
during  the  night,  but  at  Harrisburg  a  marshal 
came  aboard  with  an  order  to  take  him  into 
custody,  removing  him  to  a  military  prison. 


AMERICAN  PEP  97 

"What  sentence  will  he  be  likely  to  get?" 
Dorn  asked  of  the  marshal. 

"  If  nothing  more  develops  than  appears  on  the 
surface  he  will  be  interned  for  the  period  of  the 
war.  Do  you  know  anything  of  him?" 

"Nothing  more  concerning  his  recent  attitude. 
I  have  known  him  as  a  faithful  railroad  man,  for 
a  long  time.  He  is  single,  with  no  dependents  of 
whom  I  know." 

"Our  advice  this  morning  from  Pittsburg  is 
that  he  is  identified  with  an  alliance,  the  principal 
function  of  which  is  to  make  trouble,  a  gang  of 
foreigners  by  whom  liberty  never  has  been  com- 
prehended. They  are  all  locked  up  this  morning. 
It's  funny  how  many  rats  come  out  of  a  hole 
when  they  get  the  water  in,  isn't  it?"  The 
marshal  went  into  the  Marines'  car  and  reappeared 
with  Larson.  Dorn  had  never  entered  the  car 
used  by  the  Marines,  as  he  did  not  want  to  see 
his  old  friend  in  disgrace. 

"So  you  finished  my  run  last  night?"  Larson 
sneered. 

"The  superintendent  ordered  it,"  replied  Dorn. 
"I  had  no  choice  in  the  matter." 

"And  are  you  going  clear  through  with  this 
car?" 


98  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Yes,  I  have  to  stay  with  it." 

"The  railroad  always  has  used  you  for  a  good 
thing,"  taunted  Larson.  "And  will  keep  on 
doing  so  till  you  land  in  hell." 

"I  would  rather  part  with  you  without  hard 
feelings,  Larson,"  said  Dorn.  "I  did  all  I  could 
to  save"  you  last  night,  but  don't  start  anything 
now." 

"You  needn't  be  sorry  for  me.  I  am  going 
to  havelthe  best  of  it,  for  I  will  be  out  of  danger. 
You  always  have  been  a  damn  fool." 

"No  good  can  come  of  talk  like  this,  Larz," 
reminded  Dorn. 

"Perhaps  not,  but  before  I  go  I  want  to  tell 
you  for  your  own  good  what  kind  of  ninny  you 
are.  After  going  down  through  that  rotten 
bridge,  with  your  engine,  which  both  smashed 
and  boiled  you  for  a  while,  they  kept  you  six 
months  hi  the  hospital.  You  signed  a  release 
without  getting  damages  on  their  promise  to  give 
you  a  good  station,  and  you  let  them  land  you 
on  a  job  around  that  damned  powder  mill  where 
no  one  else  would  stay.  You  are  pulling  more 
nuts  out  of  the  fire  for  them  by  sleeping  with  this 
cursed  stuff,  and  it  that  don't  get  you  in  the  end, 
the  company  will.  You  are  welcome  to  all  you 


AMERICAN  PEP  99 

can  get  from  them.  I'm  glad  I'm  through." 
He  stopped  with  a  snarl  as  the  marshal  took  his 
arm  and  started  away. 

Dorn  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief  and  shook  him- 
self erect.  He  now  centered  his  interest  in  cou- 
pling up  without  shock  to  car  B.  R.  &  B.  76533. 

Leaving  Harrisburg  with  passenger  right-of- 
way  they  made  the  run  to  Philadelphia  in  three 
hours,  and  by  using  the  cut-off  they  were  in 
Wilmington,  Delaware,  in  another  hour.  Here 
they  would  get  another  engine  and  crew  that 
would,  by  special  arrangement,  take  them  to 
Cape  Charles  two  hundred  miles  away.  They 
were  due  to  arrive  there  early  next  morning. 

In  the  Wilmington  yards  they  were  on  the 
main  track  with  the  way  car  coupled  to  the  rear 
and  the  soldiers'  car  in  front  of  Number  76533, 
waiting  for  the  made-up  train  to  come  from  a 
switch  preparatory  to  getting  away. 

As  usual,  the  rear  brakeman,  acting  as  a  flag 
man,  and  a  soldier  were  posted  ten  car  lengths 
in  the  rear,  with  Dorn  and  another  soldier  the 
same  distance  in  front.  Two  Marines  paced  on 
either  side,  so  that  approach  was  impossible  from 
any  direction  without  permission. 

A  switch  engine  and  crew  drew  near  Dorn  and 


ioo  AMERICAN  PEP 

the  guard.  The  foreman  said  they  must  shift 
them  to  another  track. 

"You  can't  pass,"  the  guard  warned. 

"But  we  have  to  clear  the  main  track  for  a 
passenger  train  soon  due." 

"You  can't  pass,"  was  all  the  reply  from  the 
Marines. 

But  the  foreman  of  the  tram  crew  signaled  the 
engineer  to  proceed  and  the  engine  began  slowly 
to  move  toward  them.  The  Marine,  obeying 
orders,  raised  his  piece,  discharged  it  full  at  the 
foreman  and  then  at  the  engineer  in  the  cab. 
They  then  knew  more  fully  what  a  military  order 
was. 

The  ball  pierced  the  cap  of  the  foreman  and 
missed  killing  him  by  a  quarter  inch.  The  firing 
brought  a  squad  of  six  soldiers  from  their  car. 
They  placed  all  the  men  about  the  engine  under 
arrest  and  took  them  to  Lieutenant  Pettingill  at 
once.  They  were  to  learn  that  nothing  must  be 
taken  for  granted,  and  that  permission  must  be 
obtained  from  the  officer  in  charge  to  pass  a 
military  guard.  And  such  vigilance  had  not 
been  relaxed  for  a  moment  since  they  left  Mal- 
com's  station.  The  strain  was  telling  on  both 
Dorn  and  Lieutenant  Pettingill. 


AMERICAN  PEP  101 

"God  help  you  if  anything  happens  on  the 
way  to  Cape  Charles!"  the  yardmaster  said  to 
Dorn  after  the  train  was  made  up  and  coupled 
to  them  with  such  care  and  skill  that  there  was 
no  perceptible  jar.  "  I  have  given  you  eight  cars 
of  dynamite  and  thirty-two  cars  of  smokeless 
powder  and  these,  with  the  pet  car  you  have,  I 
think  ought  to  keep  you  till  you  get  to  the  Cape." 

"A  little  more  or  less  won't  make  any  differ- 
ence," smiled  Dorn  wearily.  "A  half  dozen  cases 
from  our  car  will  outmatch  for  deviltry  the  whole 
forty  cars  you  have  added." 

Dorn  started  with  the  yardmaster  down  the 
row  of  cars  to  examine  the  brakes  on  every  one 
and  also  the  axle  boxes  to  be  sure  there  was 
none  that  might  run  hot  through  lack  of  grease. 

"You  will  have  a  pipe  from  here  to  the  Cape," 
said  the  yardmaster.  "Only  forty-one  cars  and 
not  a  grade  as  big  as  a  mole  hill.  I  suppose  it 
was  all  right  to  put  these  eight  cars  of  dynamite 
on  the  tail  end.  The  brakes  don't  hit  them  so< 
hard  there." 

$  They  made  their  way  down  the  length  of  the 
train  to  the  locomotives  on  one  end,  then  back 
to  the  Marines'  car  with  76533  between  it  and 
the  way  car,  which  was  near  the  rear  as  usual. 


102  AMERICAN  PEP 

Dorn  recalled  the  topography  of  the  eastern 
shore  of  Maryland  and  Virginia  and  was  glad  of 
anything  that  would  lessen  the  danger,  and  that 
stood  for  dispatch.  Another  sleepless  night  was 
ahead  and  he  recalled  that  it  would  be  the  third 
in  succession.  The  train  began  to  roll  gently 
and  he  waved  goodbye  to  the  yardmaster. 

He  climbed  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  rear  cars 
and  sat  down  on  the  edge,  his  long  legs  a-dangle, 
facing  the  setting  sun.  The  forty-one  cars 
gathered  speed  after  leaving  Wilmington  yards, 
the  last  leg  of  a  long  and  important  journey. 

The  August  evening  sun,  though  still  hot, 
united  with  the  gentle  breeze  made  by  the  motion 
of  the  train,  to  caress  his  face  and  head,  heavy 
and  feverish  from  strain  and  loss  of  sleep.  "'The 
world  is  not  so  bad  a  world  as  some  would  like  to 
make  it,'"  came  to  him  from  the  school  books  of 
his  childhood. 

Farmers  with  one,  two  and  three  teams  in  a 
row,  going  to  the  sidings  with  wagons  loaded  to 
the  top  with  watermelons  waved  to  him  good- 
naturedly  at  crossings.  Still  more  wagons  with 
racks,  loaded  with  corn  on  the  cob  bound  for  the 
various  canneries  for  which  Maryland  is  noted, 
passed  and  gave  greeting.  Dorn  felt  a  more 


AMERICAN  PEP  103 

normal  and  encouraging  touch  with  everyday 
living. 

He  looked  at  the  long  line  of  cars,  each  seem- 
ingly possessing  an  individual  motion  of  its  own. 
One  was  waving  gently  and  others  wobbled  while 
another  bobbed  up  and  down  on  its  spiral  steel 
springs.  All  seemed  sensible  of  the  great  and 
dangerous  lifting  force  of  their  burdens. 

Dorn  wondered  if  Miss  Fraser  heard  the  radio 
message  he  had  sent  from  Harrisburg  announcing 
to  the  war  department  "All's  well!"  and  if  she 
possibly  could  have  heard  the  one  he  just  had 
filed  before  leaving  Wilmington.  Would  she  be 
watching  his  progress  and  the  wireless  for  the 
message  he  would  file  in  the  early  morning  an- 
nouncing the  safe  arrival  and  the  end  of  his 
dangerous  mission? 

His  thoughts  wandered  and  he  found  his  head 
nodding.  He  rose  and  walked  back  to  the 
Marines'  car,  messed  with  them,  drank  strong 
coffee  and  was  again  fit  for  another  all  night 
vigil,  that  would  end  at  Cape  Charles.  From 
there  they  would  go  to  the  great  channel  at  the 
mouth  of  Chesapeake  Bay,  known  as  Hampton 
Roads. 


IN    THE    EARLY    MORNING    LIGHT    A 
powerful  deep-sea  tug,  harnessed  to  a  fourteen- 
car  barge  with   four-Inch  thongs   of   hemp, 
apparently  rose  from  the  sea,  and  with  the  modera- 
tion and  silence  of  a  specter,  made  its  way  into 
the  slip  where  such  barges  connect  their  tracks 
with  the  switches  and  take  on  their  burdens  of 
freight  in  unbroken  carload  bulk,  at  Cape  Charles, 
Virginia,  about  twenty-five  miles  over  Chesapeake 
Bay  from  Newport  News. 

She  was  made  fast  and  hard  with  no  more 
play  than  was  required  by  the  flooding  tide. 
The  only  evidence  of  life  was  the  red  and  green 
signal  lights  which  were  allowed  to  burn,  but 
one  with  a  keen  ear  could  detect  the  muffled 
hissing  of  steam  giving  hint  of  a  full  head  of  two 
hundred  eighty  pounds  of  steam  in  the  boilers. 
Two  men,  who  knew  they  were  there  at  that  time 
in  the  morning  for  a  definite  and  solemn  purpose, 


AMERICAN  PEP  105 

were  smoking  and  conversing  in  low  tones  in  the 
pilot  house. 

Out  of  the  darkness  of  the  north  came  a  long, 
resonant  bold  call  from  a  locomotive,  followed  by 
a  muffled  roar  that  changed  momentarily  to  more 
of  a  positive  and  metallic  sound.  Standing  on 
top  of  this  train  of  forty-one  freight  cars  stood 
Dorn  looking  to  the  east  with  thankfulness  in  his 
heart. 

Lieutenant  Pettingill,  his  Marines,  and  the  train 
crew  were  all  equally  thankful  that  their  dangerous 
and  valuable  freight  would  soon  be  delivered  to 
the  sea.  J 

With  the  precision  of  passenger  service  the 
road  engine  uncoupled  and  left  for  the  round- 
house. A  shifting  engine  fastened  gingerly  to 
the  train  hauled  the  thirty  cars  of  smokeless 
powder  to  another  siding  for  later  disposition, 
entered  the  siding  again,  cut  off  the  way  car  on 
the  end  and  took  on  the  eight  cars  of  dynamite, 
the  car  occupied  by  the  soldiers  and  last  B.  R.  & 

B.  76533- 

Seven  of  the  dynamite  cars  were  placed  on  one 
side  of  the  waiting  barge.  The  remaining  car  of 
dynamite,  the  Marines'  car  and  the  B.  R.  &  B. 
went  on  the  other  track  midway  of  the  barge, 


io6  AMERICAN  PEP 

then  the  lighter  and  its  dreadful  burden  of  possi- 
bilities with  scarcely  a  sound  left  the  slip  and 
seemed  dissolved  in  the  silent  waters  of  the 
Chesapeake. 

"Well,  Dorn,"  said  Lieutenant  PettingiU,  "I 
thank  God  it  is  over  at  last!  Now,  it's  up  to  the 
pilot." 

"Yes,  Lieutenant,"  agreed  Dorn.  "I  am  be- 
ginning to  feel  the  relaxation  from  the  strain,  and 
after  we  get  this  stuff  signed  for  I  am  going  to 
eat  breakfast  and  go  to  bed.  I  feel  now  that  I 
could  just  sit  and  do  nothing  for  a  whole  week." 
Dorn  stretched  himself  and  began  to  sip  some 
coffee  the  Marines  had  prepared  in  then-  car. 

"You  do  well  to  relax.  This  damned  trip  will 
be  on  me  like  a  nightmare  for  a  day  or  so.  I 
believe  if  we'd  had  another  day  of  this  my  men 
would  have  gone  to  pieces.  It's  not  the  idea  of 
being  killed  that  unnerves  them,  but  it  is  the 
sensation  that  a  man  can  do  nothing  to  help 
himself.  In  battle  a  fellow  gets  something  of  a 
run  for  the  chances  he  takes." 

"You're  right,"  agreed  Dorn.  "A  man  can 
stand  most  anything  that  is  positive,  but  the 
indefinite  leaves  so  much  to  the  imagination  that 
it  becomes  torture."  He  wondered  if  he  looked 


AMERICAN  PEP  107 

the  Heed  of  a  barber,  clean  linen  and  a  shave  as 
wretchedly  as  did  Lieutenant  Pettingill. 

"Do  you  know,"  said  the  Lieutenant  suddenly, 
"I  feel  as  if  I  had  known  you  all  my  life.  It's 
always  so  when  men  work  together  with  common 
purpose  in  times  of  uncertainty  and  danger." 

"You  have  expressed  my  own  feelings,  Lieu- 
tenant. I  have  felt  more  than  surface  friendship 
and  shall  hope  to  hear  from  you  occasionally." 

"Well,  if  you  stick  to  your  friends  as  you  did 
to  that  Swede,  your  friendship  is  the  genuine  sort 
which  I  shall  prize  greatly,"  warmly  rejoined 
Pettingill.  He  turned  from  Dorn  to  view  from 
the  window  the  sunrise  now  well  defined  and 
lifting  gloriously  from  the  midst  of  the  Atlantic. 

"I  don't  wish  Larson  any  bad  luck,"  said 
Dorn.  "But  he  seems  to  richly  deserve  anything 
he  will  receive." 

"The  trouble  is  deeper  than  appears  on  the 
surface,  Dorn.  Sweden,  either  in  self  defense,  or 
by  reason  of  sympathy,  seems  universally  pro- 
German." 

Dorn  nodded  and  looked  thoughtful,  then 
feeling  the  barge  lose  headway  he  leaned  out  of 
the  open  window. 

"Here  we  are  now,"  he  said.  "I  think  this  is 
the  transport  into  which  we  discharge." 


io8  AMERICAN  PEP 

"I  suppose  we'll  have  to  take  our  papers  to 
the  purser  to  get  a  release  signed,"  said  the 
Lieutenant. 

"Yes,  when  he  signs  for  the  cargo,  which  he 
will  do  as  soon  as  he  breaks  bulk  and  checks  up 
for  the  quantity,  you  and  I  are  through,  thank 
God!" 

Dom  and  Pettingill  mounted  the  companion- 
way  lowered  to  them  at  once  and  were  met  at 
the  gangway  by  Captain  Browning,  the  navigator, 
and  Purser  Peake  of  the  transport  "Tartar." 

"Come  into  my  room,  gentlemen,"  cordially 
invited  Captain  Browning,  leading  the  way  to 
his  spacious  cabin.  "I  heard  by  wireless  that 
you  had  arrived  at  the  Cape,  and  left  there  over 
an  hour  ago.  Been  looking  for  you  hard  enough, 
as  this  is  the  third  day  we  have  been  washed  by 
Chesapeake  water  since  they  decided  to  hold  us 
for  your  cargo.  Now  let's  see,"  he  continued, 
"you  are  Mr.  Dorn,  representing  the  railroad 
company  and  have  receipts  for  us  to  sign."  He 
moved  toward  his  flat  desk  and  motioned  Dorn 
and  Pettingill  to  be  seated. 

Dorn  nodded  and  produced  a  large  envelope 
with  papers. 

"Well,  Mr.  Peake,"  said  Captain  Browning, 


"This  car  we  have  just  opened  is  empty." 


AMERICAN  PEP  109 

"suppose  you  take  a  copy  of  their  bills  and  with 
First  Officer  White  break  the  seals,  check  up  the 
freight  we  are  to  take,  and  then  we  will  sign  for 
it."  The  purser  took  the  copy  of  Dorn's  way 
bill  and  departed  hurriedly,  as  minutes  counted 
now. 

"I  suppose  you  have  had  a  long  hard  rail  trip, 
gentlemen,  likely  without  much  sleep.  After  we 
attend  to  business  I  will  have  you  to  breakfast 
with  me  while  they  are  transferring  this  peevish 
leviathan  you  have  been  nursing." 

"Thank  you,  Captain,"  replied  Dorn.  "I 
think  both  Lieutenant  Pettingill  and  I  will  appre- 
ciate a  change  in  food."  As  Dorn  glanced  around 
he  heard  through  the  open  door  the  reassuring 
sound  of  the  well  charged  wireless  instruments. 
In  a  few  moments  the  purser  returned  evidently 
greatly  excited. 

"  What  is  it,  Mr.  Peake?  "  asked  Captain  Brown- 
ing. 

"There  seems  to  be  some  mistake.  This  car 
we  have  just  opened  is  empty!"  He  spoke 
laboriously,  trying  to  suppress  his  excitement. 

"You  must  have  opened  the  wrong  car," 
laughed  Lieutenant  Pettingill  looking  incredu- 
lously at  Dorn.  "Don't  spring  anything  like 


i  io  AMERICAN  PEP 

that  on  us  or  you  will  cause  us  to  have  heart 
failure.  We  saw  our  car  loaded  and  it  has  hardly 
been  out  of  our  sight  since,  and  when  we  were 
not  there  we  had  from  two  to  four  Marines  on  it." 

Dorn  shoved  his  chair  so  he  could  get  a  good 
view  of  the  purser  who  stood  by  the  captain's 
door.  "Sure,  you  have  the  wrong  car,"  he 
smiled,  although  he  squirmed  uneasily.  "If  you 
ask  Officer  Starke  you  can  be  sure  of  the  position. 
As  Lieutenant  Pettingill  says,  do  not  condemn 
us  to  death  by  even  intimating  that  car  is  empty. 
Of  the  other  eight  cars  of  dynamite  I  am  not  so 
sure,  as  we  had  nothing  to  do  with  them,  but 
this  car  you  say  is  empty  has  one  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  sixty  cases  of  Stag  Brand,  S.  H." 

"Oh,"  hesitated  the  purser,  "I  must  be  wrong, 
of  course.  I  will  look  again  and  get  the  right  one 
this  tune  sure."  He  turned  on  his  heel  and  left 
the  room  briskly. 

"What  a  row  it  would  start  if  anything  like 
that  was  to  happen,"  said  Lieutenant  Pettingill. 
He  looked  from  Captain  Browning  to  Dorn  with 
a  suddenly  pale  face. 

"It  would  -be  me  for  the  sharks,"  shivered 
Dorn.  He  looked  haggard  and  rueful  with  his 
growth  of  beard  and  untidy  linen. 


AMERICAN  PEP        .        in 

"He  has  likely  got  the  numbers  confused," 
comforted  Captain  Browning  trying  to  speak 
easily,  but  he  looked  tensely  anxious  when  the 
purser  entered,  followed  by  First  Officer  White 
and  Officer  Starke. 

"Captain  Browning,"  said  the  purser,  "I  had 
the  right  car,  the  only  B.  R.  &  B.  76533  on  the 
barge.  I  have  broken  the  seals  and  have  examined 
it  thoroughly.  And  as  First  Officer  White  and  the 
Marine  here  also  saw,  the  car  is  completely  empty ! " 

Dorn's  long  body  shot  erect  as  a  powerful  steel 
spring  relieved  from  tension.  He  led  the  way 
without  words  to  the  companionway.  Lieutenant 
Pettingill  followed  quickly  with  Captain  Browning 
and  the  rest.  Every  one  was  shocked  and  tensely 
alert. 

Dorn  darted  down  the  adjustable  stairway 
that  rested  on  the  barge  and  with  a  few  reckless 
steps  was  before  the  side  door  of  the  car.  For 
the  thousandth  time  he  stopped  to  read  on  its 
freshly  painted  side  the  words  Buffalo,  Rochester 
and  Beaver  and  the  number  76533.  He  knew 
this  was  the  car. 

"Here  is  the  seal  I  just  took  off,"  said  the 
purser. 

Dorn  slowly  took  the  metal  straps  on  which 


ii2  AMERICAN  PEP 

was'  the  lead  ball  that  fastened  the  ends  together, 
making  a  perfect  seal,  and  looked  for  the  number 
embossed  on  the  lead.  There  was  the  number  of 
Malcom's  station,  seventy-nine.  There  could  be 
no  possible  mistake,  for  here  was  the  seal  he  had 
pressed  on  the  lock  in  the  presence  of  Griggs  and 
Lieutenant  Pettingill,  and  which  had  been  pho- 
tographed by  Whaley.  Then,  with  the  litheness 
of  desperation,  he  threw  the  door  open,  but 
instead  of  the  felt  cushion  that  Griggs  had  so 
carefully  fitted  to  the  door  space  he  found  only 
the  bare,  mocking  floor. 

Without  a  word,  as  though  the  action  meant 
life  or  death,  Dorn  placed  his  hands  on  the  floor 
of  the  car  and  vaulted  into  it  as  a  stag  hound, 
oblivious  to  everything  but  his  lead.  He  walked 
rapidly  from  one  dark  end  to  the  other,  and 
returned  to  the  door  slowly,  dropped  his  long 
legs  outside  and  sat  on  the  floor  facing  all  those 
who  now  appeared  to  him  as  his  accusers.  He 
realized  with  a  pang  that  seemed  to  part  his  heart 
his  responsibility  to  the  railroad,  the  Govern- 
ment, to  the  cause  of  freedom,  to  his  own  con- 
science. With  his  elbows  on  his  knees  and  with 
his  face  bent  in  his  long,  powerful  hands  he  sat 
motionless  with  eyes  closed. 


AMERICAN  PEP  113 

"Lieutenant  Pettingill,"  he  said  in  a  voice 
hoarse  with  self-condemnation  and  weary  terror, 
"we  have  been  tricked  and  sold." 

Captain  Browning  had  not  been  given  com- 
mand of  a  great  transport  by  accident.  He  was 
a  great  man  and  knew  at  once  there  was  no 
acting.  He  recognized  the  grave  culmination  in 
the  lives  of  two  men,  recognized  the  responsibility 
to  them  and  the  Government. 

"Gentlemen,"  he  said  firmly,  breaking  the 
stillness  that  followed  Dorn's  outburst,  "come  to 
my  quarters  where  we  will  talk  it  over." 


Chapter  Twelve* 


EVERY  ONE  WHO  HAS  LIVED  KNOWS 
what  it  is  to  have  the  hand  of  hell  upon 
his  heart,  gripping  it  to  the  point  of  suffo- 
cation. Dorn  experienced  this  touch  of  hell 
when  he  realized  the  full  significance  of  the 
situation  facing  him. 

Lieutenant  Pettingill,  mercifully  less  sensitive 
and  upheld  by  a  practical  philosophy,  was  for  the 
time  stronger  than  Dorn.  He  was  moved  by  the 
apparent  collapse  of  the  man  he  had  learned  to 
admire.  He  took  Dorn  gently  by  the  arm,  and 
helped  him  from  his  seat  in  the  car  doorway,  to 
the  deck  of  the  barge.  From  there  Dorn  was 
guided  by  him  up  the  companionway  to  the 
deck  of  the  "Tartar"  and  forward  to  Captain 
Browning's  capacious  stateroom  as  a  criminal 
going  to  execution. 

"Lieutenant  Pettingill  and  Mr.  Dorn,"  said 
Captain  Browning  taking  a  chair  at  his  desk, 
"what  you  have  been  through  during  the  last 


AMERICAN  PEP  115 

three  days  is  apparent  to  me,  and  this  unfortunate 
ending  calls  for  sober  judgment  and  the  best  we 
have  in  us.  You  have  had  no  breakfast,  neither 
have  I.  It  will  be  served  here  in  my  room.  That 
will  give  us  a  chance  both  to  brace  ourselves  and 
to  collect  our  wits."  He  telephoned  his  order 
to  the  galley  and  then  excused  himself  as  he 
entered  the  adjoining  wireless  room. 

"Dorn,"  said  Lieutenant  Pettingill,  "there  is  a 
big  conspiracy  working  against  us.  More  caution 
could  not  possibly  have  been  exercised  by  living 
souls." 

Dorn  turned  his  head  wearily  toward  Lieu- 
tenant Pettingill.  His  nose  and  close  cropped 
ears  appeared  more  prominent  against  his  pale 
unshaven  face. 

"  Other  folks  are  not  going  to  see  it  so  leniently, 
Lieutenant  Pettingill,"  he  reminded.  His  voice 
was  labored  and  hoarse.  "I  have  been  an 
unlucky  devil  ever  since  I  was  bom.  From  child- 
hood in  the  clay-washed  mountains  of  West 
Virginia  my  ambition  has  led  me  into  one  pitfall 
after  another.  But,  damn  it ! "  he  ended  savagely, 
"I'm  not  through  yet!" 

"Of  course  you're  not  through,"  encouraged 
the  Lieutenant  heartily. 


ii6  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Yet,"  groaned  Dorn,  "I  seem  to  be  possessed 
by  devils  in  everything  I  undertake.  I  came  to 
the  railroad  and  began  firing,  and  several  times 
escaped  death  only  by  a  hair.  Then  as  soon  as 
they  gave  me  an  engine  the  cursed  genie  had  its 
hand  on  the  throttle  with  me,  and  now,  I  am 
cursed  again."  Dorn  broke  off  in  miserable 
futility. 

"Dorn,  that  is  just  weakness.  It's  just  useless 
self-pity,  and  in  a  few  moments  you  will  wonder 
that  you  have  spoken  thus.  You  daily  walk 
hand  in  hand  with  death.  Your  courage  far 
exceeds  mine,  and  I  know  I  am  not  a  coward. 
Why,  man,  pull  yourself  together.  Stop  this, 
I  say!  Your  country  needs  brave  men,  not 
whiners.  Besides  you  have  the  heart  of  a  lion. 
You  cannot  be  condemned  for  something  you 
have  not  done." 

At  this  point  they  were  interrupted  by  the 
cabin  boy  who  entered  with  a  tray  of  food. 
Captain  Browning  joined  them  from  the  wireless 
room  and  Pettingill  wondered  if  they  had  over- 
heard their  talk. 

"Gentlemen,"  Browning  invited  cordially,  "sit 
up  to  the  table.  You  both  look  as  if  a  little 
stimulant  would  not  harm  you  after  your  trying 
period." 


AMERICAN  PEP  117 

Dorn  rose  with  an  effort,  as  a  man  three  times 
his  age,  at  first  unable  to  straighten  his  long,  thin 
body. 

"I  suppose  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  inform 
Washington  of  this  matter,"  said  Captain  Brown- 
ing, "so  that  they  can  get  in  action.  I  am  in  a 
bad  fix  just  now  about  that.  I  gave  one  operator 
shore  leave  until  ten  this  morning  and  the  man 
who  should  be  on  duty  has  just  been  injured. 
I  will  have  to  send  ashore  for  an  operator.  Wash- 
ington undoubtedly  heard  the  radio  from  Cape 
Charles  notifying  me  that  you  had  arrived  with 
the.  cargo.  They  will  soon  expect  a  report  that 
both  the  dynamite  and  S.  H.  are  alongside  the 
'Tartar'  and  being  transferred." 

"I  am  an  operator  and  will  send  your  message," 
replied  Dorn  instantly,  shoving  back  from  the 
table,  ready  to  go  into  action  again. 

"Is  that  so?  Good!  But  not  another  thing 
until  after  breakfast."  Captain  Browning  ad- 
mired the  fire  that  came  into  Dorn's  smarting 
eyes  at  the  first  call  to  duty,  and  the  kindling  of 
the  dinted  haggard  face. 

The  cabin  boy  placed  before  them  ham  and 
eggs,  coffee  and  hot  bread  in  ample  quantities  and 
of  reviving  savor. 


n8  AMERICAN  PEP 

Dorn  ate  in  silence  yet  listened  keenly  to  the 
captain's  story.  Pettingill  took  pains  as  he  told 
Browning  of  the  entire  journey  to  stress  the  care 
and  precaution  used  by  Dorn  all  along  the  line, 
from  the  first  moment  of  loading  to  the  last 
delivery. 

"It's  the  Hun's  work  without  doubt,"  decided 
Browning. 

"Have  you  prepared  your  message  for  Wash- 
ington?" Dorn  asked  as  he  rose  and  pushed 
back  his  chair.  "And  you  will  wish  to  send 
one,  too,  won't  you?"  he  added  turning  to 
Pettingill. 

"Yes,  I  will  have  mine  ready  by  the  time  you 
get  Captain  Browning's  off,"  replied  Pettingill 
rising  and  following  the  others  into  the  wireless 
room  adjoining. 

"Do  you  know  how  your  operator  was  injured 
this  morning?"  asked  Dorn  as  he  went  to  the 
instruments  and  threw  in  the  switch  connecting 
them  with  the  ship's  generator. 

"No,"  said  the  captain  thoughtfully,  "I  don't. 
Got  a  severe  shock  somehow.  We  have  tre- 
mendous power,  but  never  have  had  such  an 
accident  before." 

Dorn  was  wondering  if  there  could  be  any 


AMERICAN  PEP  119 

connection  between  the  fact  that  one  operator 
asked  for  shore  leave  and  that  the  other  had 
been  injured.  "It  looks  all  right,"  he  said 
mechanically,  and  then  shifted  his  thoughts  to 
the  work  in  hand.  Mechanically  he  opened  the 
key  and  began  calling  S  —  H,  his  private  call  for 
Malcom's  to  test  the  break  on  the  instrument. 
He  noticed  that  it  was  half  past  eight  o'clock. 
He  had  only  twice  issued  that  call  when  Like  the 
instant  response  of  a  guardian  angel  there  came 
as  clear  as  the  ring  of  steel,  a  reply  that  could 
issue  but  from  one  station.  The  touch  of  Betty 
Fraser  undoubtedly  was  on  the  key.  She  had 
replied  instantly  and  Dorn  knew  she  had  been 
waiting  faithfully  for  his  signal.  It  was  a  private 
call  and  had  no  significance  to  any  official  operator. 
Dorn  fully  interpreted  her  reply.  "Malcom 
station  answers.  What  do  you  want?"  He  felt 
almost  as  if  his  body  were  the  powerful  current 
that  enabled  him  to  signal  his  mountain  station 
five  or  six  hundred  miles  away,  so  deep  was  his 
thrill  at  the  sense  of  her  nearness.  He  felt  as  if  a 
comforting  and  reassuring  hand  had  rolled  the 
film  of  fear,  self-depreciation  and  self-pity  from 
his  eyes  and  bade  him  see  the  wonders  of  a 
beautiful  morning,  and  look  at  the  world  as  it 


120  AMERICAN  PEP 

was,  as  he  had  seen  it  the  night  before  in  the 
glories  of  a  closing  day  while  he  rolled  hopefully 
to  his  destination. 

Both  Captain  Browning  and  Lieutenant  Pettin- 
gill  wondered  at  the  instant  change  as  Dorn 
stiffened  in  his  chair.  -  The  fire  of  an  eagle's  eyes 
came  over  the  bridge  of  his  great  nose  like  two 
rifles  pointed  at  them.  And  as  he  looked  an 
interrogation  to  them  he  replied  to  S  —  H. 
"Stay  cut  in  and  stand  by." 

"The  instrument  appears  all  right.  I  can  see 
nothing  wrong,"  he  said  to  Captain  Browning. 
"Shall  I  signal  Washington?" 

"Yes,  get  them  as  soon  as  you  can.  I  wrote 
my  message  before  breakfast."  Captain  Brown- 
ing handed  him  a  message  written  in  the  cipher 
of  the  navy. 

As  Dorn  was  sending  the  two  messages  carefully 
prepared  by  Lieutenant  Pettingill  and  Captain 
Browning  he  felt  as  if  he  were  pronouncing  his 
own  sentence,  but  with  faith  that  a  square  deal 
would  finally  triumph  now,  he  was  firm,  and  his 
touch  on  the  instrument  was  unfaltering.  He 
knew  that  his  radius  was  at  least  two  thousand 
miles  and  also  that  as  soon  as  his  call  was  sent 
out  on  the  morning  air  for  Washington  that 


AMERICAN  PEP  121 

every  radio  operator  within  that  immense  sweep 
was  at  attention  and  compelled  to  register. 

"I  can  well  imagine  how  it  will  flatten  them 
out  at  Washington,"  commented  Lieutenant 
Pettingill.  "It  makes  me  feel  that  if  spies  can 
do  that,  they  could  accomplish  almost  anything." 
He  was  watching  Dorn  who  was  alertly  waiting 
for  the  next  stroke  on  his  receiver. 

"I  can't  comprehend  it  yet.  I  can't  realize 
that  it  actually  has  happened,"  Dorn  cut  in 
savagely.  "I  still  visualize  my  trip  with  this  car 
as  an  actual  certainty  that  it  was  not  tampered 
with.  It  is  impossible.  Why,  there  seems  the 
uncanniness  of  the  supernatural.  The  cleverest 
legerdemain  multiplied  a  thousand  times  in 
(mining  could  not  remove  fifty  tons  of  freight, 
guarded  by  two  seasoned  Marines  with  loaded 
rides." 

"And  the  worst  phase  of  it  is,"  said  Captain 
Browning,  "  that  they  need  this  stuff  on  the  other 
side  badly,  or  I  would  not  have  been  held  here 
with  five  thousand  soldiers  and  a  full  cargo  of 
supplies.  It  seems  strange  that  Washington 
doesn't  reply  quickly.  Wouldn't  you  think  they'd 
ask  some  questions?"  He  stroked  his  long 
beard  anxiously  and  glanced  at  Dorn  who  sat 


122  AMERICAN  PEP 

as  a  statue  resting  his  head  in  his  hand,  seem- 
ingly boring  holes  where  he  gazed  at  the  polished 
table. 

"But  even  worse  than  all  that,"  said  Lieu- 
tenant Pettingill,  "is  the  devilish  power  of  this 
explosive.  The  full  import  of  this  you  cannot 
understand  until  you  have  seen  as  I  have  the 
unusual  precautions  under  which  it  is  made. 
It  is  called  an  explosive,  but  that  don't  convey 
an  adequate  idea  of  it.  It  possesses  in  a  drop  as 
big  as  a  pea  all  the  lifting  powers  and  devilishness 
of  the  hells  that  have  existed  for  a  million  years. 
This  manufactured  devilism  has  been  stolen, 
diverted  or  lost.  In  any  case  it  is  loose,  and  I 
believe  it  is  in  the  hands  of  the  bandit  criminal 
Hun  who  makes  Beelzebub  or  Lucifer  appear  like 
a  wrist  watch  sissy  slacker.  One  little  case  of 
fifty  pounds  would  scatter  to  dust  all  the  gold 
of  the  treasury  at  Washington,  with  the  war, 
state  and  navy  thrown  in." 

As  Pettingill  finished  speaking  Captain  Brown- 
ing stirred  uneasily  and  watched  the  unresponsive 
instrument.  "But  why  don't  they  say  some- 
thing? "  he  fumed  impatiently. 

"I  think  you  underestimate  the  time  it  will 
take  to  have  the  message  translated  and  placed 


AMERICAN  PEP  123 

in  the  hands  of  the  responsible  heads,"  replied 
Lieutenant  Pettingill,  looking  at  Dorn  who 
assented  with  a  nod.  In  his  mind's  eye  Dorn 
could  see  every  operator  or  clerk  at  every  radio 
station  feverishly  going  over  his  book  to  put  the 
words  into  readable  shape. 

At  last  the  stroke  for  which  Dorn  was  waiting 
came  as  a  savage  dog  snapping  at  his  chain. 
The  response  was  so  powerful  and  assertive  that 
he  knew  it  was  from  a  radio  fully  as  powerful  as 
the  "Tartar's."  ,  The  message,  which  was  signed 
by  one  in  high  authority  whose  name  cannot  be 
divulged,  was  as  follows: 

"Washington  advice  intercepted  on  board  the 
'Mayflower.'  Steaming  toward  you.  Hold  every- 
thing intact  until  I  arrive." 

When  Dorn  finished  writing  he  tore  the  paper 
from  the  pad  and  handed  it  to  Captain  Browning, 
giving  no  hint  of  its  import,  and  then  resumed 
his  watch  of  the  instrument. 

"Great  Heavens!  what  a  piece  of  luck!  I  had 
something  of  a  hint  that  he  might  come  down 
here  before  we  got  away,"  exclaimed  Captain 
Browning,  handing  the  message  to  Pettingill. 

"Yes,  I  am  glad,"  said  Pettingill,  "his  advent 
here  will  dispose  without  red  tape  in  a  half  an 


124  AMERICAN  PEP 

hour,  more  than  an  inquiry  would  accomplish  in 
a  year.  Eh,  Dorn?  Didn't  I  tell  you  something 
would  come  out  of  the  sky  to  save  our  faces?" 
He  went  to  Dorn's  side  and  grasped  his  shoulder 
affectionately. 


Chapter  ^Thirteen 


HOW    FAR    AWAY    IS    THE    'MAY- 
flower? ' "  asked  Captain  Browning. 
"Hard  to  guess,"  Dorn  repKed,  "but 
I  judge  very  close.    Only  a  few  miles." 

"I  will  have  a  boat  lowered  to  go  out  to  it," 
Captain  Browning  said  and  left  the  room,  fol- 
lowed by  Lieutenant  Pettingill,  to  issue  his 
orders. 

Left  alone,  Dorn  walked  to  the  open  window. 
His  eyes  smarted  and  ached  for  sleep,  but  that 
was  of  minor  importance  now.  The  "Tartar" 
was  swinging  on  her  chain  with  the  tide,  bringing 
his  view  to  the  northward.  He  could  see  coming 
toward  them  a  lead  gray  vessel  without  name  or 
flag.  The  next  moment  it  swung  about  to  anchor 
near  them  and  even  before  the  hook  went  into 
the  mud  a  gig  was  leaving  it  and  making  directly 
toward  them. 

Waiting  in  suspense  Dorn  remained  in  the 
wireless  room.  Washington  knew  that  the  right 


126  AMERICAN  PEP 

man  had  immediately  taken  the  reins  and  they 
waited  for  a  decision.  How  would  that  decision 
affect  Dorn?  ,  Did  it  mean  disgrace,  even  prison? 

His  period  of  wretched  waiting  was  broken 
when  Captain  Browning  appeared  at  the  door 
and  motioned  him  to  enter  the  stateroom  where 
the  conference  was  being  held. 

Dorn  was  introduced  to  a  clear  eyed,  strong 
faced  man  of  powerful  physique.  This  official 
motioned  him  to  a  chair  near  by. 

"Mr.  Dorn,"  he  began,  "we  have  received  a 
verbal  account  of  the  loading  and  attempted 
transportation  of  the  car  which,  as  established  by 
the  photographs  taken  after  loading  and  sealing, 
was  brought  to  this  point  under  strict  military 
escort.  I  have  heard  that  its  contents  have  been 
removed  in  a  manner  entirely  a  mystery,  but 
which  could  not  have  been  accomplished  without 
the  aid  of  persons  having  a  knowledge  of  this 
transaction.  Is  that  the  case  as  you  understand 
it,  representing  the  railroad?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Have  you  any  theory  as  to  the  motive  for 
the  removal?"  continued  the  official,  taking  a 
careful  measure  of  the  haggard  and  weary  Dorn. 

"Three    days    of    constant    watchfulness    and 


AMERICAN  PEP  127 

nights  without  sleep,  added  to  the  shock  of  this 
discovery,  have  left  me  almost  without  power  to 
reason,"  replied  Dorn.  ."I  need  time  to  think." 

"Have  you  formed  any  impression  of  possible 
motive  that  might  aid  us  in  the  solution  of  this 
problem?" 

"This  explosive's  value  as  a  medium  of  destruc- 
tion in  the  hands  of  the  enemy  gives  us  cause  for 
reasonable  suspicion,"  said  Dorn  slowly,  "yet 
the  intrinsic  value  is  great,  and  might  tempt  a 
criminal  to  take  chances." 

"You  are  a  licensed  wireless  operator,  as  well 
as  the  station  agent  of  the  railroad?  Also  owing 
to  the  rebellion  of  the  regular  conductor  you  were 
placed  in  charge  absolutely  over  the  first  division 
and  as  a  supernumerary  with  authority  over  all 
conductors  during  the  entire  trip  here?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  Dorn  promptly.  He  felt 
that  even  though  the  evidence  seemed  piling  up 
against  him,  both  Captain  Browning  and  Lieu- 
tenant Pettingill  were  on  his  side. 

"Am  I  right  in  my  conclusion,"  went  on  the 
official,  "that  you  and  Lieutenant  Pettingill  both 
checked  up  and  verified  the  contents  of  this  car, 
and  that  they  were  then  sealed  in  the  presence  of 
at  least  two  employees  of  the  shipper? " 


128  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Yes,  sir." 

"And  that  immediately  afterward  Lieutenant 
Pettingill's  squad  arrived  and  an  armed  guard  was 
posted  on  that  car,  which  has  remained  there  up 
to  this  moment?" 

"Well  —  I  know  that  within  a  half  hour  after 
the  loading  and  sealing  the  car,  the  train  bringing 
the  guard  arrived,  and  that  I  heard  Lieutenant 
Pettingill  instruct  his  officer  Starke  to  post  the 
guard  on  it.  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  was 
done." 

"In  addition  to  that,  this  factory,  as  well  as 
the  switch  on  which  this  car  was  loaded,  is  in  a 
deep  canyon,  and  can  be  reached  only  through 
the  office  of  the  factory,  and  the  two  entrances  of 
Bald  Eagle  Canyon,  which  are  protected  by  an 
armed  guard,  as  well  as  a  mounted  patrol  above?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  Dorn  with  the  same  positive 
candor. 

"Mr.  Dorn,  you  are  not  under  oath,  nor  is 
this  an  inquisition,  but  I  don't  want  you  to  give 
information  you  may  at  any  time  be  sorry  for. 
For  that  reason  you  may  refuse,  if  you  wish,  to 
answer  any  more  personal  questions." 

Dorn  flushed.  The  significance  of  the  official's 
words  became  only  too  apparent.  "I  know  of 


AMERICAN  PEP  129 

nothing  that  I  wish  to  withhold  under  any  circum- 
stances," came  from  Dorn  like  a  shot. 

"I  felt  that  way,  yet  wished  to  warn  you. 
Now,  as  I  understand  it  you  have  been  on  the 
road  some  tune  and  were  a  locomotive  engineer 
and  are  now  in  good  standing  with  the  Brother- 
hood?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"Do  you  believe  that  this  conductor  Larson's 
attitude  is  significant,  beyond  his  personal 
feelings?  " 

"No." 

"Are  you  equally  sure  of  Malcom,  the  powder 
manufacturer?  " 

"Yes,  sir,"  came  from  Dorn  without  a  moment's 
hesitation. 

"Have  you  reason  to  suspect  any  of  his  em- 
ployees?" 

Dorn  hesitated.  There  flashed  across  his  mind 
the  weak  inefficiency  of  Whaley,  but  his  slight 
suspicions  would  seem  ridiculous  in  this  grave1 
crisis.  His  answer  was  an  evasion,  however. 
He  suddenly  wanted  to  carry  through  his  in- 
vestigations his  pwn  way  though  at  this  time  he 
knew  nothing  positive  about  Malvoney's  wireless 
instrument  as  did  Miss  Fraser. 


1 30  AMERICAN  PEP 

"All  of  Malcom's  employees  are  simple  moun- 
tain people,"  he  replied.  "They  take  pride  in 
their  blood  origin  and  their  hazardous  employ- 
ment. They  resent  the  intrusion  of  outsiders 
and  worship  Malcom  as  their  acknowledged  head. 
To  point  to  any  one  actually  disloyal  would  be 
difficult." 

"Have  you  any  information  however  slightly 
bearing  on  this  matter  that  might  lead  to  the 
discovery  of  this  great  crime?  " 

"I  have  none  now  I  feel  worthy  of  repetition 
to  you.  In  my  present  state  of  mind  I  might 
do  irreparable  harm  by  mentioning  mere  im- 
pressions." 

"But  you  realize  that  in  the  face  of  all  these 
undoubted  facts  there  is  negligence,  and  a  weak 
place  somewhere,  that  has  made  possible  a  crime 
punishable  with  death?" 

"I  do  realize  it,  and  will  aid  in  every  possible 
way  to  unearth  the  culprit,"  answered  Dorn 
gravely. 

"That's  aU,  Mr.  Dorn,"  the  official  said  in 
dismissal.  Dorn  returned  to  the  wireless  hi  a 
dizzy,  conflicting  state  of  mind,  wholly  without 
power  to  analyze  the  course  events  were  taking. 
Apparently  they  did  not  intend  to  hold  him 


AMERICAN  PEP  131 

under  suspicion;  he  was  watched,  undoubtedly, 
but  had  received  reasonable  consideration.  He 
did  not  care  if  they  did  watch  every  move. 
This  did  not  lessen  his  own  sense  of  heavy  re- 
sponsibility and  defeat.  Some  one  had  tricked 
him  because  of  lacking  alertness.  He  had  in 
some  unaccountable  way  failed  in  a  trust.  This 
was  the  unbearable  thought.  Was  he  a  dead 
one?  and  the  Hun  so  much  more  astute  and 
cunning !  His  jaws  fairly  snapped  at  the  thought. 
In  a  short  time  the  wireless  operator  whose 
shore  leave  had  expired  came  to  relieve  him. 
Dorn  looked  around  the  transport  for  Lieutenant 
Pettingill,  but  his  friend  was  not  within  sight. 
The  ship  appeared  more  crowded  than  ever  with 
soldiers  and  every  one  seemed  excited  and  alert. 
Dorn  walked  slowly  along  the  crowded  deck  to 
the  companionway  and  down  to  the  barge.  Each 
door  of  all  the  cars  was  wide  open  and  every  car 
was  empty.  The  contents  had  been  swallowed 
up  by  the  great  ship  to  which  the  barge  still  was 
lashed.  The  converted  passenger  car  used  by 
the  soldiers  was  still  there  though  deserted,  and 
next  to  it  was  the  hideous  nightmare  whose  name 
and  number  were  stencilled  as  with  red  hot 
letters  on  Dorn's  memory. 


132  AMERICAN  PEP 

As  he  came  from  the  Marines*  car  he  met 
Officer  Starke. 

"Well,  Mr.  Dorn,"  the  officer  greeted,  "the 
Hun  has  put  one  over  us  in  spite  of  all  our  finesse." 

Dorn  flushed,  but  made  no  retort.  "Where  is 
Lieutenant  Pettingill?"  he  asked. 

"He's  busy  on  board.  We  didn't  know  it  till 
just  now  that  we  must  stay  on  board  and  go  to 
the  Azores  for  war  zone  duty.  This  war  game 
makes  sudden  changes  in  plans  and  we  don't 
always  have  time  to  say  goodbye.  The  Lieuten- 
ant's been  looking  for  you,  though." 

"How  soon  do  you  sail?" 

"There  goes  the  first  line  now.  We'll  be 
under  way  in  one  minute  more.  Goodbye," 
cried  he,  running  to  the  companionway  just 
before  it  was  hauled  up  loosing  the  ship  from 
the  barge. 

The  great  ocean  tug,  still  lashed  to  the  barge, 
evidenced  signs  of  activity.  There  was  a  clang 
in  her  engine  room,  and  yeasty  water  began 
foaming  about  her  powerful  propeller.  When 
Dorn  looked  again  at  the  immense  ship  crowded 
with  soldiers  its  anchor  was  coming  out  of  the 
bay  and  she  with  great  majesty  and  power  was 
heading  toward  the  Battle  Field,  preceded  by 


AMERICAN  PEP  133 

the  two  fretful  and  swift  pilot  convoys  who 
beckoned  her  on  to  the  open  sea. 

On  deck  Dorn  finally  discerned  Lieutenant 
Pettingill  hastening  to  the  rail.  He  knew  that  in 
kindness  his  friend  had  wished  to  wave  goodbye. 
A  lump  rose  in  Dorn's  throat.  He  felt  a  sense  of 
desertion  and  loneliness.  He  must  go  back  to 
the  mountains,  without  open  censure  it  was  true, 
yet  without  praise,  disgraced  in  his  own  sight, 
and  a  failure  before  men.  He  wished  that  he 
could  have  gripped  the  Lieutenant's  hand  in 
parting,  yet  he  realized  that  stern  duty  must 
come  ahead  of  the  finer  considerations  of  friend- 
ship. The  Lieutenant  would  have  come  to  him 
if  he  could.  So  Dorn  tried  to  find  comfort  in 
this,  and  watched  the  great  ship,  until  the  men 
on  her  decks  became  mere  dots  in  the  distance. 

With  bent  head  he  v/alked  slowly  along  the 
deck  of  the  barge  now  moving  back  rapidly  to 
Cape  Charles.  No  one  had  even  intimated  that 
he  was  culpable,  yet  they  could  not  hold  him 
blameless.  He  was  in  it.  He  was  left  to  go  his 
way,  but  he  felt  that  men  must  look  at  him 
askance.  Even  definite  blame  or  punishment 
would  have  been  more  bearable.  His  railroad 
superiors  were  venturing  no  new  orders,  were 


134  AMERICAN  PEP 

asking  no  questions,  and  evidenced  a  disturbing 
lack  of  interest  in  him. 

His  thoughts  turned  to  Betty  Fraser.  She  had 
answered  his  call  on  the  wireless.  He  had  asked 
her  to  stand  by.  With  the  cipher  hi  her  possession 
she  now  must  know  the  substance  of  the  messages 
to  Washington.  Perhaps  at  this  moment  he 
stood  to  her  as  a  failure,  too,  maybe  even  worse, 
a  traitor.  Yet  even  as  his  mind  formed  the  word 
he  felt  again  the  unseen  soothing  hand  and 
strength  came  back.  After  all,  he  had  his  freedom 
and  with  twenty-four  hours'  sleep  he  would  be  in 
perfectly  fit  condition  to  work  out  his  own  salva- 
tion. He  was  squarely  thrown  on  his  mettle. 
That  was  some  advantage.  Time  and  prodigious 
effort  he  felt  capable  of  must  bring  the  answer: 
that  would  clear  him. 

He  went  again  to  look  at  the  cursed  car.  As  he 
passed  it  his  hands  clenched  and  his  teeth  set. 
He  stood  before  it  with  a  new,  more  personal 
interest.  They  evidently  intended  to  let  him 
alone;  they  thought  he,  unhampered,  would  help 
himself,  and  the  Government;  he  was  grateful 
for  the  privilege. 

With  the  sudden  tensity  of  a  new  thought  he 
bent  closer  and  studied  the  number  on  the  trucks, 


AMERICAN  PEP  135 

the  foundry  number  and  the  chalk  marks  still 
remaining.  He  made  careful  records  in  his 
pocket  note-book,  then  walked  to  the  other  side 
of  the  car  and  continued  his  minute  study. 

He  stood  before  the  car  a  long  time  as  the 
barge  splashed  through  the  bay,  as  if  he  would 
wring  from  the  fabrication  of  steel  the  secret  of 
how  an  astute  manufacturer,  an  entire  railroad 
with  an  unfailing  system,  the  Government  and  a 
part  of  the  United  States  Service  could  have 
been  outwitted,  cheated  and  flaunted,  and  how 
he  —  miserable  he  —  the  partial  instrument  of 
each,  had  been  spit  on  as  a  numskull,  and  by 
whom? 


Chapter  Fourteen 


DORN  WENT  ASHORE  IMMEDI- 
ately  Cape  Charles  was  reached  to 
inquire  about  the  first  train  to  Phila- 
delphia. He  felt  that  his  movements  were  noted. 
But  he  found  satisfaction  in  the  thought  that  he 
could  stand  watching.  He  had  nothing  to  con- 
ceal. He  might  have  been  a  fool;  a  dupe  but 
not  more.  He  found  he  had  a  little  over  two 
hours  to  wait.  He  would  have  time  for  a  bath, 
a  shave,  some  new  linen  and  a  square  meal. 
Once  on  board  the  train  towards  the  mountains 
he  would  sleep  if  he  had  to  stand  up. 

Bathed,  clean  shaven  and  again  fed,  Dorn 
went  early  to  the  train  that  was  made  up  there, 
threw  two  seats  together  in  the  smoking  car, 
folded  his  long  legs  into  a  letter  S  and  using  his 
arms  for  a  pillow  he  entered  the  deep  mysteries 
of  sleep.  Thus  insensible  as  though  dead  he  re- 
mained until  he  reached  Philadelphia  eight  hours 


AMERICAN  PEP  137 

later.  Here,  only  half  awake,  he  changed  trains 
and  relapsed  into  complete  unconsciousness  while 
animated  steel  took  him  steadily  during  the  long 
night  back  to  his  mountain  home. 

Before  sunrise  the  next  morning  when  the 
long  passenger  train  paused  at  Malcom's  Sta- 
tion as  if  to  take  a  long  bracing  breath  before 
entering  the  gloom  of  Bald  Eagle  Canyon,  Dorn 
left  the  train.  He  filled  his  lungs  with  the  pure 
bracing  mountain  air  as  he  watched  the  lights 
disappear  around  the  granite  walls  into  the 
canyon.  He  was  still  free:  delighted  though 
fierce  for  achieving  his  vindication  and  bagging 
the  criminals. 

With  new  virile  vigor  that  he  had  acquired 
from  sleep  he  felt  that  he  could  overcome  pro- 
digious obstacles.  His  jaws  set  hard  as  he  slipped 
his  key  into  the  door  and  entered  the  station, 
two  hours  before  Miss  Fraser  was  due. 

He  noticed  first  the  perfect  order  of  the  office 
and  then  saw  on  the  instrument  table  the  same 
tomato  can  filled  with  wild  flowers.  They  were 
still  fragrant  and  with  the  fragrance  came  a 
sense  of  Betty's  nearness. 

He  went  to  the  wireless  cabinet,  opened  the 
door,  and  reached  inside  to  turn  on  the  light. 


138  AMERICAN  PEP 

Before  him  on  the  stool,  her  head  resting  on  her 
arms,  unconscious  in  sleep,  sat  Betty  Fraser. 
He  was  about  to  reach  out  his  hand;  then,  sens- 
ing the  possible  shock  to  her  if  wakened  thus 
suddenly  and  by  him,  he  closed  the  door  gently 
and  returned  to  the  telegraph  instrument.  He 
threw  in  the  switch  that  opened  the  wires  over 
the  line,  hoping  the  click  of  the  instruments 
would  bring  her  gradually  back  from  sleep. 

As  he  expected,  the  heavy  hammering  on  the 
highly  charged  wire  awakened  the  girl  and  she 
came  slowly  from  the  cabinet,  rubbing  her  eyes 
as  she  walked  toward  him.  She  stared  at  him 
for  a  breathless  moment,  then  checked  a  de- 
lighted relieved  cry. 

"Well,"  she  substituted  more  calmly,  "I 
thought  you'd  be  on  this  train,  but  I  did  not 
intend  to  sleep."  She  wet  her  handkerchief 
from  the  small  water  pitcher  and  bathed  her 
eyes. 

He  leaned  across  the  instrument  table  and 
eagerly  scanned  her  face.  "You  know  all  that 
has  happened?"  he  asked. 

"I  know  that  the  car  arrived  empty,  and  I 
guessed  that  you  would  be  home  on  this  tram." 
Her  manner  seemed  guarded  and  a  bit  strained. 


AMERICAN  PEP  139 

She  leaned  her  elbow  on  the  letter  press  and  did 
not  meet  his  eyes. 

Dorn  felt  a  sudden  sense  of  returning  weak- 
ness and  depression,  as  if  his  strength  was  being 
wrung  from  him  by  her  apparent  indifference. 

"And  you  think  that  I  — " 

She  checked  him  with  the  lifting  of  her  hand. 

"I  am  so  dazed  I  don't  know  what  to  think," 
she  said.  Her  voice  was  low  and  strained. 

"How  does  Mr.  Malcom  feel  about  it?"  he 
asked,  watching  her  carefully. 

"At  first  he  became  nearly  insane,  but  is 
calmer  now.  He  does  not  blame  you  —  yet." 
She  ended  with  a  significant  pause. 

"Has  anything  happened?  Is  there  anything 
new  to  work  on  here?  Has  any  evidence  shown 
up?" 

"Small  things  have  happened,  but  the  mystery 
is  still  as  great.  We  have  been  tricked  and  out- 
witted on  our  own  ground,  at  our  own  game." 

"How  far  am  I  to  blame,  Betty?  What 
have  I  failed  to  do?"  There  was  a  tinge  of  help- 
lessness in  his  tone,  almost  boyishness. 

She  looked  at  him  steadily,  but  made  no 
reply.  Dorn  straightened  and  looked  away.  He 
could  not  believe  that  doubt  rested  back  of  the 


i4o  AMERICAN  PEP 

seriousness  of  her  eyes,  yet  he  did  not  seem  to 
be  receiving  from  her  the  comfort  and  help  he 
had  expected. 

"What  theory  does  Mr.  Malcom  advance?" 

"He  has  none.  He  says  his  manifold  duties 
prevent  him  from  making  specialized  analysis 
of  the  situation.  That  it  is  work  for  a  strong 
man  with  daring  and  initiative." 

"How  long  have  you  been  here?"  he  asked. 

"I  felt  more  like  being  here,"  she  evaded. 
"I  was  too  excited  to  sleep  at  home." 

"Has  anything  happened  to  help  you  locate 
the  illicit  wireless  plant?" 

"Well,  Malvoney,  the  tent  photographer,  has 
a  wireless  instrument."  She  then  proceeded 
to  tell  him  briefly  all  the  circumstances  of  her 
discovery. 

"What  do  the  trainmen  think  of  Larson?" 

"They  think  him  a  rat  and  a  fool,  but  not 
connected  with  this  plot."  Then  she  scanned 
him  closely.  "How  much  sleep  have  you  had 
since  you  left  here?" 

"I  slept  all  the  way  home.    I  am  rested  now." 

"Go  get  your  breakfast.  I  will  stay  until 
you  come  back.  I  think  it  unwise  to  leave 
this  station  one  minute  alone  until —  " 


AMERICAN  PEP  141 

"Until  what?"  he  asked  with  softened  tone, 
wondering  what  there  was  about  her  wavy  brown 
hair  and  honest  forehead  that  attracted  him 
more  than  usual. 

"Until  these  human  snakes  are  dragged  from 
hiding  and  destroyed,"  she  replied. 

"Wouldn't  you  rather  go  now  and  get  your 
breakfast  first,  —  I  —  " 

"I  cannot  get  my  breakfast  for  almost  two 
hours.  You  go  now  and  return  by  that  time." 

He  moved  to  the  door,  then  hesitated.  "  Betty," 
he  said,  looking  back,  "are  those  cars  on  the 
powder-mill  switch?  I  mean  the  same  cars  that 
were  stored  there  the  day  this  hoodoo  car  was 
set  in  for  loading?" 

"No,  I  got  an  order  for  Number  18  to  take 
them  west  last  night."  She  looked  at  him, 
puzzled  by  his  tensity.  "A  record  would  be 
made  when  the  cars  went  into  the  Pittsburg 
yard,  wouldn't  it?"  she  added. 

"Yes." 

"But  what  good  will  they  do  you?" 

"Perhaps  none,  but  I  have  an  idea,  that's 
all." 

"Last  night,"  she  said,  "Mr.  Malcom  went 
over  the  matter  by  telephone.  He  found  that 


i42  AMERICAN  PEP 

there  were  about  twenty  minutes  elapsed  between 
the  act  of  sealing  the  car  and  the  arrival  of  the 
Marines, — too  short  a  time  for  any  manipulation. 
He  insists  that  fifty  tons  of  that  kind  of  freight 
could  not  be  spirited  from  one  car  to  another  in 
that  length  of  time,  or  be  manhandled  in  any 
way  whatever.  For  that  reason  he  insists  that 
the  contents  must  certainly  have  been  lost  in 
transit." 

"Which,"  cut  hi  Dorn,  "puts  the  yoke  squarely 
on  my  neck." 

"Don't  the  Marine  Guard  assume  some  part 
of  the  responsibility?  " 

"I  see  little  use  in  trying  to  locate  the  blame 
now.  What  every  one  wants  to  know  first  is 
where  the  mighty  explosive  is,  that  immense 
incomprehensible  damage  may  not  be  done." 

Dorn  slowly  closed  the  door  behind  him  and 
started  for  his  room  and  breakfast.  He  was 
depressed  again  by  Betty's  strange  aloofness, 
but  after  a  bath  and  a  good  meal  he  felt  a  return 
of  his  fighting  spirit. 

When  he  arrived  at  the  station  again  he  saw 
Malvoney  leaving  the  door.  He  passed  close  to 
the  man  and  nodded  curtly.  His  ten  fingers 
instinctively  longed  to  clasp  the  throat  of  the 


AMERICAN  PEP  143 

sleek  photographer  whom  he  believed  to  be  his 
enemy.  When  he  entered  the  station  there  was 
a  dangerous  gleam  over  his  hooked  nose  and  his 
muscles  twitched  in  anticipation. 

"A  customer  so  early  in  the  morning?"  he 
asked  Miss  Fraser  -as  he  tossed  his  hat  on  its 
hook. 

"Yes,  he  left  a  telegram  to  be  sent  rush,  but 
the  station  for  New  York  doesn't  open  for  fif- 
teen minutes."  She  reached  for  her  hat  and 
moved  toward  the  door. 

"Are  you  positive  you  heard  a  wireless  instru- 
ment in  his  tent?" 

"I  am  positive." 

"What  do  you  think  of  him?" 

"I  think  he  is  an  unusually  good  photographer, 
yet  does  not  fit  his  business.  His  wireless  may 
be  only  a  fad." 

She  cut  off  further  questions  by  leaving  the 
office.  Something  in  the  girl's  attitude  puzzled 
and  troubled  Dorn.  Her  old  frankness  seemed 
to  be  held  in  leash. 

As  soon  as  he  could  get  the  station  he  sent 
Malvoney's  message.  Just  before  the  morning 
local  train  from  the  east  arrived  he  was  inter- 
ested to  see  Malvoney  and  Whaley  talking  ear- 


144  AMERICAN  PEP 

nestly  together  on  the  station  platform.  Malvoney 
evidently  intended  to  take  the  train.  Dorn  noted 
his  unusually  expensive  bag.  After  Whaley  saw 
Malvoney  on  board  the  local  he  stepped 
to  the  ticket  window. 

"What  kind  of  a  trip  did  you  have,  Mr.  Dorn?" 
he  leered. 

"Hello  Whaley,"  Dorn  greeted,  but  made  no 
reply. 

"There's  hell  to  pay  down  in  the  'hole,'" 
Whaley  went  on.  "The  old  man  is  driving  every 
one  crazy  to  get  out  more  of  the  stuff,  and  my 
Lord  what  a  temper  he  has  on  him  these  last 
few  days!  Can't  hardly  live  with  him,  though 
he's  quieted  down  some  now.  He's  about  nutty 
to  get  another  shipment  of  Sky  High  off.  Must 
be  good  demand  for  that  stuff." 

Dorn  looked  into  the  small  red-rimmed  eyes 
steadily.  They  shifted  under  his  glance. 

"We  want  three  cars  today,"  Whaley  went 
on.  "Two  for  powder  and  one  for  dynamite. 
But  the  old  man's  crazy  about  Sky  High.  I 
suppose  when  another  car  is  ready  there  will 
be  more  Marines  to  feed  barbecued  pig?" 

Dorn  knew  that  the  man  had  been  drinking, 
and  he  looked  down  into  his  craven  soul  through 


AMERICAN  PEP  145 

unguarded  windows.  Had  Whaley  been  sober 
he  would  not  have  twitted  Dorn  so  boldly  of  his 
failure. 

"I  will  see  that  you  get  the  cars  today,"  Dorn 
said  shortly,  and  turned  from  the  window  to 
end  the  interview. 

"All  right,  I'll  report  that  you'll  have  the 
three  cars  on  Bald  Eagle  siding  soon,"  said 
Whaley  as  he  torpidly  moved  away. 

Dorn  could  not  reconcile  the  apparent  cunning 
and  artifice  of  Malvoney  with  the  fact  that  he 
would  lean  on  such  a  rotten  support  as  Whaley. 
But  possibly  he  was  the  only  yellow  material 
at  hand. 

In  a  short  time  Miss  Fraser  returned,  refreshed 
by  her  breakfast  and  brief  rest.  She  took  her 
place  at  Dorn's  desk  without  words.  For  a  time 
they  worked  in  silence.  Now  and  then  Dorn 
turned  to  watch  the  serious  lines  of  her  profile. 

Finally  she  looked  up  sharply.  "Do  you 
know,"  she  said,  "I  am  beginning  to  believe  this 
man  Malvoney  has  been  using  Whaley?" 

"WTiy?"  he  asked  quickly. 

"Just  now  I  saw  Whaley  go  into  the  photog- 
rapher's tent.  He  had  a  key  and  seemed  familiar 
with  the  place." 


146  AMERICAN  PEP 

She  rose  suddenly  and  came  to  his  side.  For 
the  first  time  since  his  return  she  threw  off  re- 
straint. "Oh!"  she  cried  out  passionately,  "I 
wish  I  were  a  man.  There's  a  big  man's  work 
to  do  here.  You  can  do  it  if  you  will.  You 
aren't  going  to  just  —  to  just  sit  there,  are  you?  " 
She  was  excited  and  a  bit  exasperated. 

Dorn's  eyes  met  hers  steadily  and  he  smiled. 
"No,  Betty,  I  am  not  going  to  just  'sit  here.' 
Not  one  minute  longer  than  I  must.  I  am  going 
to  count  on  you,  too,  not  as  a  man,  but  as  a 
woman,  with  all  a  woman's  instincts  and  wit. 
You  do  not  need  to  be  a  man  to  help  in  this." 

"But  you  must  be  doubly  a  man,"  she  spurred. 
"Don't  you  see  how  it  looks  for  you,  for  us, 
unless  you  solve  this  thing?  Think  of  the 
service  you  can  do  the  country,  the  whole  world! 
Think  of  the  cloud  hanging  over  the  railroad 
men,  the  most  loyal  band  of  men  in  the  country! 
Do  you  realize  the  power  you  have,  the  privi- 
lege?" Her  cheeks  were  flaming,  and  under  the 
lash  of  her  stimulating  challenge  his  eyes  flashed 
again  to  hers. 

"I  do  realize,  Betty,  and  I  am  going  through 
to  the  last  notch  for  our  country  and  for  our 
honor,  and  I  need  your  help." 


AMERICAN  PEP  147 

"You'll  have  all  I  can  give  to  the  last  ounce 
of  my  strength.  Why,  it  means  more  to  me  than 
anything  else  ever  has  meant." 

"What  means  more,  Betty,  just  what?" 

"All  of  it.  Our  privilege  to  help,  your  honor, 
your  fight,  your  victory." 

"That  was  what  I  needed  to  have  you  say, 
Betty.  Now  I  can  fight,  as  you  say,  with  the 
strength  of  two  men.  We  are  fighting  the 
Hun.  The  battle  here  is  more  important  than 
the  one  in  Flanders." 

"But,"  she  cut  in  with  a  woman's  swift  fear, 
"you  will  be  careful?" 

"Shall  I  pussy-foot?"  he  jerked  out.  "No, 
caution  will  not  win  this  fight.  Every  American, 
every  soul  on  earth  who  loves  justice,  must  forget 
carefulness  of  self  and  destroy  this  hellish  menace 
that  now  threatens." 

Betty  bent  her  head.  "I  was  wrong  to  speak 
of  carefulness,"  she  said  gently. 

"We  are  dealing  with  the  dogs  of  Hell  united 
with  the  cunning  of  the  serpent,"  he  went  on. 
"One  must  get  the  steel  and  the  other  the  heel, 
and  I  am  going  to  do  my  share.  If  I  come  out 
with  a  whole  skin,  all  right;  if  I  do  not  I  shall 
have  my  own  approval,  and  I  hope  —  yours." 


148  AMERICAN  PEP 

He  went  slowly  out  of  the  station,  leaving  the 
girl  white  and  shaken  at  the  tempest  she  had 
roused. 

He  went  directly  to  Malvoney's  tent.  The 
door  was  closed  but  unlocked.  He  entered  with- 
out knocking.  He  heard  no  sound  at  first,  but 
later  could  detect  vheavy  breathing  beyond  the 
thin  partition.  He  entered  the  second  room 
and  found  Whaley  stretched  unconscious  on  the 
settee  in  a  drunken  stupor. 


Chapter  Fifteen 


DORN  SHOOK  WHALEY  WITHOUT 
results.  Swiftly  and  in  silence  he  pro- 
ceeded to  examine  thoroughly  the  in- 
terior of  the  tent.  He  found  plenty  of  evidence 
that  connections  for  a  wireless  instrument  had 
been  made,  but  the  apparatus  itself  had  been 
removed.  Further  careful  search  also  failed  to 
reveal  any  of  Malvoney's  personal  belongings. 
Only  the  camera  and  photographer's  equipment 
remained.  Evidently  that  had  served  its  pur- 
pose, like  the  wireless,  and  was  abandoned  or 
destroyed. 

Dorn  kicked  aside  the  debris  in  the  dark  room 
and  among  other  things  revealed  a  bundle  of 
films.  On  examination  he  recognized  these  as 
some  cars  Malvoney  had  developed  for  the  lazy 
Whaley  for  Malcom's  bills  of  lading.  He  slipped 
these  into  his  pocket  for  more  careful  investi- 
gation and  continued  his  search.  Finding  noth- 
ing more  he  left  Whaley  unconscious,  with  the 


150  AMERICAN  PEP 

bluebottle  flies  buzzing  about  his  purple  face,  and 
returned  to  the  station. 

He  entered  the  station  briskly  and  found 
Miss  Fraser  at  her  post. 

"Whaley  is  in  Malvoney's  tent,  drunk,"  he 
began,  "but  could  not  wake  when  I  went  in. 
Malvoney  himself  went  west  on  the  local  this 
morning." 

"Did  you  learn  anything  of  the  wireless  outfit?" 

"There  is  no  instrument  there  now,  but  I 
found  evidence  of  it.  He  has  used  Whaley  for 
God  knows  what,"  he  ended. 

"I  still  cannot  comprehend,"  she  pondered, 
"why  Mr.  Malcom,  usually  so  far  sighted  and 
shrewd,  is  blind  to  him,  surely  a  menace.  Did 
you  find  anything  else?" 

"Probably  nothing  of  importance.  I  picked 
up  a  package  of  old  films."  He  reached  into  his 
pocket  and  tossed  the  bundle  over  to  her. 

"These  are  mostly  films  taken  by  Whaley 
for  use  on  our  bills  of  lading,"  she  said  after  a 
few  moments'  scrutiny.  "Didn't  you  inquire 
of  me  concerning  the  cars  on  the  siding  when 
that  fateful  car  was  loaded?" 

"Yes,  I  did,"  he  replied  quickly.  "What 
have  you  there?" 


AMERICAN  PEP  151 

"There's  a  film  among  these  showing  the  row 
on  the  switch,  including  the  76533  B.  R.  &B." 
She  held  the  film  to  the  light.  He  took  it  from 
her  and  examined  it  closely. 

"We'll  have  an  enlargement  made  from  that," 
he  said.  "I  am  going  to  follow  any  hunch  I 
have,  however  nebulous,  until  I  get  the  curves 
of  that  crooked  mind.  First,  I  have  to  go  to 
Pittsburg.  I  want  to  see  one  of  those  empty 
cars  that  was  on  the  siding." 

"Do  you  really  think  there  is  a  clue  in  this 
picture?" 

"Hardly  a  clue,"  he  hesitated.  "It  is  so  hazy 
I  can't  even  put  it  into  words,  except  as  a  sort 
of  sixth  sense  prompting."  He  turned  to  her 
gently.  "  I  don't  like  to  leave  you  alone 
with  double  work  again,  yet  every  minute  I 
wait  will  make  it  harder  for  me  to  get  what 
we  are  after."  • 

"  I  have  rested  enough,"  she  assured  him  quickly. 
"You  must  follow  every  possible  clue.  I  am  well 
able  to  do  double  duty."  She  was  excited,  yet 
did  not  bother  him  with  farther  questions. 

"You  are  a  brick,"  he  said,  "and  I  shall  not 
stay  away  a  moment  longer  than  necessary." 
He  turned  back  at  the  door.  "Several  men 


152  AMERICAN  PEP 

may  be  here  from  both  the  railroad  and  the 
government.  Tell  them  everything  you  actually 
know,  but  nothing  of  our  suspicions.  Let  them 
look  around  for  themselves  until  I  get  back." 

His  first  act  on  arriving  at  Pittsburg  was  to 
go  to  a  photographer,  who  agreed  to  give  him  an 
enlarged  print  of  his  film  in  two  hours. 

While  he  was  waiting  he  went  to  the  car  ac- 
countant of  the  road.  He  questioned  him  con- 
cerning the  car  he  was  trying  to  locate. 

"The  conductor's  slip  shows  that  all  five  of 
those  cars  brought  from  Bald  Eagle  siding  were 
foreign  empties,"  replied  the  accountant.  "They 
have  been  turned  over  to  their  roads  to  stop  the 
per  diem  charge.  Two  of  them  were  B.  R.  &  B's. 
and  two  were  Wheeling  and  Lake  Erie  and  one 
Pan  Handle." 

"What  were  the  numbers  of  the  B.  R.  &  B.?" 

The  man  consulted  a  slip.  "76537  and  76538," 
he  replied. 

"Does  your  record  show  that  the  B.  R.  &  B. 
have  actually  received  them?" 

"Yes." 

"Then  then*  record  will  show  their  disposition?" 

"Surely.  Their  man  will  be  able  to  put  his 
hands  on  them  at  once,  as  they  just  got  them." 


AMERICAN  PEP  153 

After  a  long  tramp  to  curb  his  restlessness 
Dorn  returned  to  the  photographer.  The  en- 
largements were  ready,  as  agreed.  Dorn  studied 
the  pictures  with  every  sense  alert.  He  then 
went  to  the  B.  R.  &  B.  accountant  and  asked  if 
he  could  see  the  two  empty  B.  R.  &  B.  cars. 

"They're  empty,"  replied  the  man;  "what  do 
you  want  of  them?  " 

"Just  a  sort  of  thousand  to  one  shot  that  I 
could  get  some  information  if  I  saw  them,  that's 
all,"  replied  Dorn. 

"Isn't  it  one  of  our  cars  that  was  loaded  at 
your  station  with  some  kind  of  explosive,  a  case 
or  two  of  which  would  be  strong  enough  to  blow 
the  roof  off  of  hell?"  the  man  asked  with  a  serious 
sort  of  grin.  "There  were  two  federal  agents  as 
well  as  two  detectives  from  your  road  here  this 
morning  getting  the  history  of  that  car,  but  that 
has  nothing  to  do  with  these  two  empties,  has 
it?" 

"Probably  not,"  smiled  Dorn.  "But  they  aren't 
losing  much  time,  are  they?  That  car  was  re- 
ported in  trouble  only  yesterday  noon.  Where 
did  you  say  those  two  cars  were  stored?" 

"Our  storage  yards  are  out  about  three  miles. 
Take  a  street  car  and  ask  for  Barney  Dunn. 


iS4  AMERICAN  PEP 

You'll  find  him  in  a  shanty  near  the  track.  He 
has  a  record  of  every  car,  also  a  freak  memory, 
and  knows  the  physical  condition  of  every  car 
there." 

Dorn  thanked  the  clerk  and  strode  out.  He 
had  no  difficulty  in  finding  Barney  Dunn  in  his 
castle  between  a  three  hundred  acre  storage 
yard  and  a  dirty  river.  He  opened  his  business 
at  once. 

"The  car  accountant  said  — " 

"Well,  what  did  that  jackanapes  say?"  in- 
terrupted Barney,  anticipating  an  argument,  and 
shifting  his  black  clay  pipe  to  the  other  side  where 
the  tooth  was  gone. 

"Well,  Barney,"  Dorn  ventured  again,  "as  a 
matter  of  fact  he  spoke  well  of  you,  that  is  I  guess 
he  thinks  well  of  you,  but  he  said  —  ' 

"Now  what  DID  he  say?" 

Dorn's  eyes  twinkled.  "He  said  he  sent  two 
of  your  cars  out  here  yesterday  and  .that  he  would 
bet  you  had  forgotten  all  about  them  by  this 
tune." 

"Did  he  say  that?  DID  he  say  that  now?  I 
suppose  he  didn't  tell  you  what  cars?" 

"Yes,  he  said  they  were  of  a  new  series  just 
delivered,  76537  and  76538." 


AMERICAN  PEP  155 

"Well  if  that  spalpeen  clerk  will  come  out  here 
I  will  show  him  those  cars  quick  enough  over 
there  on  twenty-six  ready  for  the  first  call  for 
empties,"  said  Barney,  savagely  chewing  the 
black  clay  stem.  "But  let  me  see,  yes,  that's 
the  same  number  —  what  is  there  about  those 
cars  ?  —  you  are  the  second  man  inquiring  about 
them  this  morning." 

Dorn  sobered  instantly  and  his  heart  leaped. 

"There  was  a  sort  of  Roosian  fellow  here  this 
morning  said  he  wanted  two  new  cars  to  load  — 
said  something  about  cork  or  life  preservers  for 
the  navy  that  had  to  go  to  New  Orleans,  or 
somewhere  down  there,  and  he  lit  on  those  two." 

"What  kind  of  looking  fellow  was  he,  Barney?" 

"Kind  of  a  squat,  and  the  grease  was  runnin' 
out  of  his  jaws,  a  dark  fellow  and  great  on  the 
blarney." 

Dorn's  heart  continued  to  pound.  He  believed 
the  man  described  was  Malvoney. 

"The  shippers  are  more  agreeable  than  they 
used  to  be,"  he  grinned  to  conceal  his  interest. 

"Well,  I  never  heard  of  a  shipper  coming  out 
here  and  picking  out  a  car  before,  but  these  are 
bad  times.  I  explained  to  the  yardmaster  about 
it." 


156  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Where  is  the  yardmaster? " 

"Working  at  the  other  end  of  the  yard,  but 
he'll  be  up  in  a  half  hour,  if  you  want  to  see  him." 

Dorn  said  he  would  wait  and  walked  slowly 
down  the  yard. 

So  there  was,  sure  as  hell,  something  to  his 
hunch  after  all! 


Chapter  Sixteen 


DORN  HAD  NOT  LONG  TO  WAIT 
for  the  yardmaster,  but  the  man  seemed 
unwilling  to  talk.  Dorn  felt  some  sus- 
picions that  Malvoney  might  have  bought  him, 
so  did  not  press  the  matter  further.  He  waited 
until  next  morning  and  went  directly  to  Carson, 
engineer  of  the  switching  crew.  He  identified 
himself  to  him  as  a  brother  engineer  in  good 
standing. 

Carson  instantly  recalled  Dorn's  accident  at 
Malcom's  River  and  his  transfer  to  the  station 
there. 

"Now,  Dorn,"  he  offered,  "let  me  get  it  straight. 
Why  do  you  want  this  car?"  He  delayed  the 
whole  crew  to  listen  to  the  brief  history  Dorn 
gave.  He  examined  the  photograph  and  the 
bill  of  lading  that  Dorn  handed  him. 

"I  want  to  get  that  car  back  on  the  Bald  Eagle 
switch  at  Malcom's  Station,"  answered  Dorn. 


i$8  AMERICAN  PEP 

"But  you  don't  make  it  quite  clear  why  you 
want  it  there,"  the  engineer  insisted. 

"I  know  I  don't,  because  it  isn't  yet  clear  to 
me.  But  now  that  I  have  found  Malvoney 
also  is  interested  in  that  car,  I  am  more  than 
doubly  anxious  to  get  it  safely  away  to  Malcom's 
Station." 

"Are  you  absolutely  sure  Malvoney  is  a  Ger- 
man conspirator?" 

"Yes." 

"Then  why  don't  you  jug  him  at  once?" 

"It  is  one  thing  to  know  he  is  a  German  worker 
and  quite  another  to  prove  it." 

"I'll  help  you,  Dorn,"  promised  the  engineer. 
"We  can  trust  this  conductor  here.  I  will  call 
him  and  see  how  much  he  can  tell.  Hey,  Pete," 
he  called,  "shake  hands  with  Mr.  Dorn." 

The  conductor  accepted  the  request  as  com- 
plete endorsement. 

"This  man  is  in  trouble,"  went  on  the  engineer. 
"  He  is  on  the  level  and  between  us  I  want  a  little 
dope  that  will  go  no  farther.  Have  you  one  of 
our  cars  here  in  which  the  yardmaster  has  seemed 
to  take  special  interest?" 

"  Yes,  it's  76538.  He  told  me  not  to  use  it  for 
anything  at  all." 


AMERICAN  PEP  159 

"What  do  you  make  of  that,  Pete?" 

"Nothing  more  than  a  few  smokers,  I  guess," 
grinned  the  conductor. 

"Which  is  the  quickest  way  to  get  a  car  from 
here  to  Malcom's?" 

"Send  it  to  Allegheny  Junction,  and  then  over 
the  Bald  Eagle  spur.  It's  only  about  ten  miles 
across  from  there.  The  engine  is  coupling  on  a 
train  now.  She  can  take  one  more  car."  The 
switch  conductor  turned  his  head  toward  an 
immense  mogul  road  engine  moving  slowly  back 
to  its  train.  Carson  caught  the  slight  suggestion 
and  glanced  significantly  at  Dorn. 

"Where  is  that  car  now,  Pete?"  he  asked  in  a 
low  tone. 

"Over  on  switch  twenty-six,  about  ten  cars 
back  from  the  main  track." 

"And  I  have  known  you  to  be  very  forgetful 
sometimes,  Pete." 

"Indeed,  yes,  my  memory  is  bad  at  times; 
then  there  is  the  night  crew,  you  know;  I  can't 
keep  track  of  them." 

"All  right.  Forget  that  I  said  anything  to  you 
concerning  that  car,  and  go  about  your  business." 
Carson  started  quickly  across  the  tracks  to 
where  the  road  mogul  stopped,  talked  in  low 


160  AMERICAN  PEP 

tones  for  a  few  moments  with  its  engineer,  then 
motioned  to  Dorn.  He  looked  cautiously  about 
and  pointed  toward  track  twenty-six,  where  the 
car  was.  Dorn  needed  no  further  hint.  He 
darted  forward  to  the  road  engine,  cut  the  air 
connections  just  made,  pulled  the  pin  releasing 
the  mogul  from  the  train,  and  gave  the  ahead 
signal.  Carson  in  the  meantime  had  quickly 
climbed  into  his  own  cab,  and  was  apparently 
paying  no  attention  to  Dorn's  movements.  As 
though  self-constituted,  the  engine  moved  down 
the  main  track  to  switch  twenty-six  and  in  an- 
other two  minutes  returned  with  the  coveted 
car,  76538,  which  Dorn  coupled  to  the  waiting 
train.  There  were  three  short  blasts  from  the 
whistle,  and  express  freight  train  249  was  off  to 
Allegheny  Junction. 

Dorn  climbed  up  the  side  of  the  great  five- 
hundred-horse-power  steam  plant,  which  carried 
with  it  coalbins,  waterworks  and  machine  repair 
tools,  starting  up  the  mountain  with  over  sixty 
full  loads.  He  went  to  the  right  side  of  the  cab 
and  approached  the  gray-haired  engineer,  who 
looked  at  him  with  a  keen  eye  well  back  under  a 
bushy  brow. 

"Dorn,"  he  began,  "you  know  it  is  positively 


AMERICAN  PEP  161 

against  the  rules  for  us  to  carry  any  one  on  the 
engine."  He  had  to  speak  close  to  Dorn's  ear 
so  his  voice  could  be  heard  above  the  mighty 
shouts  of  the  engine  getting  headway. 

Dorn  nodded. 

"But  I  am  very  glad  you  are  here,"  winked 
the  engineer,  "for  my  fireman  reports  that  he  is 
sick.  At  least  he  will  not  work,  and  if  you  will 
fire  in  his  place  you  can  help  us  out." 

Dorn  nodded  again  with  a  smile.  He  recog- 
nized that  Carson  served  him  well;  here  was  a 
friend.  He  went  to  the  fireman's  side  of  the 
engine  and  found  the  man  taking  off  blouse  and 
overalls.  These  he  handed  to  Dorn. 

"Buddy,"  he  grinned,  "how  do  you  suppose 
you  are  going  to  negotiate  nine  tons  of  coal 
going  up  the  mountain  with-  those  soft  lily 
whites?" 

"A  few  blisters  never  hurt  any  one  much," 
replied  Dorn,  looking  at  the  big  pile  of  coal  on 
the  tender.  He  put  his  coat  and  hat  in  the 
fireman's  box  and  adjusted  the  greasy  cap,  blouse, 
and  overalls  of  the  fireman. 

"It  isn't  so  bad  if  you  know  how  to  favor  your- 
self, and  I  guess  you  do,"  said  the  fireman  as  he 
started  back  to  the  way  car,  where  he  was  to  stay 


162  AMERICAN  PEP 

a   sick   man   until    they   arrived    at   Allegheny 
Junction. 

Dorn  took  the  shovel,  altogether  familiar  to 
him,  and  began  to  feed  the  insatiable  maw  of 
the  motive  power  that  was  snaking  on  its  ten 
wheels  the  unbelievable  load  up  the  mountain. 
Things  were  coming  pretty  fast  but  none  too 
rapid  to  suit  him.  He  could  see  the  car  just 
behind  the  tender  where  he  was  shoveling  coal 
and  he  was  more  certain  that  Malvoney  was 
interested  hi  that  car.  While  coupling  it  up 
he  had  paused  long  enough  on  one  side  to  notice 
that  the  door  was  shut  and  sealed,  and  that  the 
seal  bore  his  own  station  number.  But  how 
in  God's  name  did  it  get  there?  This  was  not 
the  car  he  had  loaded;  this  was  number  76538. 
This  car  left  the  siding  as  an  empty,  and  had 
been  handled  as  an  empty.  At  the  first  stop 
he  would  see  if  it  were  sealed  on  the  other  side. 
When  he  coupled  it  on  it  felt  as  if  it  had  a  load, 
but  of  this  he  could  not  be  certain.  Between 
shovels  there  was  little  time  to  spare,  as  it  required 
nine  tons  to  keep  the  engine  steaming  for  seventy- 
five  miles.  A  ton  of  coal  every  six  miles  had  to 
be  spread  skilfully  through  a  door  little  larger 
than  a  porthole  over  a  7  x  10  grate. 


AMERICAN  PEP  163 

They  were  leaving  a  few  minutes  after  ten. 
With  good  luck  six  hours  would  be  required  to 
climb  those  seventy-five  miles.  As  Dorn  shoveled 
with  his  long  body  bent  almost  like  a  jack-knife 
to  see  inside  the  small  opening,  he  thought  that 
unless  Malvoney  had  paid  a  confederate  in 
the  yard  they  were  leaving  he  would  have  to  be 
pretty  lively  to  keep  up  with  him  now.  They 
would  be  likely  to  reach  Allegheny  Junction 
at  four  in  the  afternoon,  and  if  this  luck  was 
still  with  him  he  would  have  the  car  back  on  the 
powder-mill  siding  in  Bald  Eagle  Canyon  before 
dark. 

The  passenger  train  that  would  pass  them  in 
three  hours  was  the  only  means  that  Malvoney 
could  use  to  follow,  but  it  was  leaving  two  hours 
behind  them.  Unless  he  was  right  on  the  spot, 
however,  and  had  quick  and  secret  information, 
there  was  no  way  for  him  to  learn  that  he  had  the 
car  and  catch  the  passenger  train.  Dorn  was 
positive  no  train  record  had  been  made  of  it.  It 
was  done  so  quickly  that  Dorn  did  not  even  have 
time  to  see  if  both  doors  were  sealed  after  train 
bills  were  made. 

When  they  came  to  the  siding  to  allow  the 
passenger  to  pass,  it  took  them  to  the  left  of  the 


164  AMERICAN  PEP 

depot  off  from  the  main  track  to  the  coal  chutes 
and  water  tank.  Here  five  more  tons  of  coal 
were  piled  on  top  the  depleted  tender  and  the 
water  tank  was  refilled.  This  done  they  lay 
on  the  track,  the  engine  some  hundred  feet  from 
the  station,  waiting  for  the  passenger.  Dorn 
now  had  opportunity  to  climb  down  and  examine 
the  other  side  to  see  if  his  car  were  sealed  there. 
Again  he  saw,  affixed  in  the  end  of  the  pin  holding 
the  sliding  doors  firmly  shut,  the  wire  and  metal 
seal  bearing  the  imprint  of  Malcom's  Station. 

With  the  habit  and  instinct  of  an  old  engineer 
he  touched  the  tender  and  sensitive  backs  of  his 
now  blistered  fingers  to  the  car's  journal  boxes, 
and  had  to  withdraw  them  immediately,  as  there 
was  considerable  warmth.  Such  heat  could  not 
come  unless  the  car  had  a  load.  He  was  almost 
uncontrollably  moved  to  rip  off  the  seal  and  at 
once  settle  the  question,  but  he  realized  such  a 
thing  would  be  very  unwise  there.  The  pas- 
senger was  whistling,  and  in  a  minute  more  pulled 
up  with  the  smoking  car  abreast  them  as  Dorn 
climbed  back. 

He  leaned  idly  against  the  water  tank  waiting, 
his  hands  now  blistered  and  black,  his  jacket 
and  overalls  more  dirty  and  greasy.  The  tight- 


AMERICAN  PEP  165 

fitting  cap  was  no  blacker  than  his  face,  which, 
with  its  peculiarly  shaped  nose,  suggested  an 
immense  black  parrot.  He  was  unrecognizable  as 
Dorn,  the  neat  ticket  agent  at  Malcom's  Station. 

His  idle  curiosity  in  the  passengers  in  the 
smoking  car  did  not  last  long.  For  his  eyes 
recoiled  as  from  the  thrust  of  a  knife  when  he 
saw  Malvoney  step  springily  from  the  front  end 
of  the  car,  not  twenty  feet  away.  He  evi- 
dently was  searching  for  something  he  knew 
just  how  to  locate.  With  him  was  another 
brutal-looking  man  of  undoubted  Teutonic  origin. 
Both  men  came  directly  to  the  car  next  to  the 
locomotive,  looked  to  see  if  the  seals  were  intact, 
exchanged  cock-sure  glances,  and  returned  to  the 
platform  of  the  smoker.  They  also  looked  fur- 
tively about,  probably  in  search  of  Dorn,  but 
failed  to  recognize  or  connect  him  with  the 
grimy  fireman,  who  began  to  take  on  a  fire-box 
heat. 

Murder  entered  the  heart  of  Dorn  as  he  scanned 
them,  with  fierce  desire  for  justice  and  maybe 
revenge.  To  him  they  were  bandits  and  mur- 
derers of  nations  who  would  ruin  him  and  her. 
Was  there  not  a  time  when  murder  justified 
murder ! 


166  AMERICAN  PEP 

Every  man  on  this  railroad  was  doing  his 
duty.  Malcom  and  his  wonderful  plant  flashed 
before  him.  His  own  wearing  and  tearing  ex- 
perience of  the  last  few  days  came  back.  His 
mind  also  went  out  to  a  girl's  face,  distinct  to 
him  in  the  bright  sunlight.  It  seemed  to  have 
grown  wan  and  thin  for  want  of  sleep  and  from 
over-effort.  He  heard  the  three  blasts  of  the 
signal  whistle,  and  the  passenger  train  started 
to  move.  Malvoney  would  be  brought  close, 
but  still  too  far  away  from  the  engineer's  long 
arms.  In  Dorn's  sight  Malvoney's  sleek  face 
and  greasy  jowl  changed  to  a  fox,  then  to  a  wolf, 
and  finally  to  a  jackall. 

Dorn  stooped  for  the  only  available  weapon 
as  the  train  brought  his  man  nearer  him.  His 
long,  blistered  fingers  encompassed  a  big  chunk 
of  coal,  and  with  the  unerring  skill  of  boyhood 
he  let  go  from  an  arm  as  flexed  as  though  made  of 
steel.  The  missile  struck  Malvoney  full  in  the 
forehead  with  such  force  as  to  smash  the  coal 
into  bits.  As  the  train  gathered  speed  Dorn 
saw  his  enemy  reel  and  fall  into  the  arms  of  his 
companion,  or  he  would  have  leaped  as  a  tiger 
man  on  the  fast-moving  train  and  let  his  blis- 
tered fingers  choke  his  life  out  and  throw  his 
body  to  the  dogs. 


Chapter  Seventeen 


DORN  WATCHED  THE  PASSENGER 
train  move  rapidly  out  of  their  way, 
and  saw  the  switch  open  to  let  them  on 
the  main  track,  as  from  a  stupor.  The  lean 
hand  of  Collins  tugged  at  the  throttle,  giving 
the  great  mogul  the  breath  of  life.  Thus  they 
began  the  last  lap  of  his  trip  to  Allegheny  Junc- 
tion, where  he  must  devise  some  way  to  get  his 
car  over  a  mountain  spur  or  branch  track  to 
Malcom's.  He  had  surely  left  his  mark  on 
Malvoney,  if  he  had  not  killed  him.  He  was 
glad  and  began  stoking  the  fire  with  a  decisive 
grimness. 

After  a  short  time  they  had  the  first  level 
track,  and  having  a  good  fire  he  took  a  moment 
to  see  Collins,  who  viewed  him  with  a  knowing 
twinkle  hi  his  eye. 

"You've  had  practice.  You'd  make  a  good 
bomb  thrower,"  he  said.  "Your  arm  is  as 
steady  as  your  eye." 


i68  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Did —  did  you  see  him?"  Dorn  asked,  at 
first  apprehensive. 

"Yes.  Was  that  your  man?  He  is  right  on 
your  heels.  But  maybe  you  have  finished  him. 
That  was  an  awful  shot." 

"That  was  him,"  Dorn  replied  ruefully.  "If  I 
have  finished  him  it's  a  good  job.  May  have 
to  pay  —  but  you  are  the  only  man  who  can 
prove  it.  Anyhow,  I  know  now  that  I  have 
the  right  car.  I'll  save  it  for  the  Government, 
from  Boche.  What  jury  would  convict?" 

"I've  a  poor  memory,"  grinned  the  engineer. 

"If  he  gets  over  that  knock-out  he'll  be  wait- 
ing for  me  at  the  Junction  with  the  slugger  he 
has  with  him,  I  suppose,"  said  Dorn. 

"Yes,  but  if  we  work  it  right,  he  can  stay 
there  and  wait  for  some  time." 

"How's  that?" 

"You  know,  of  course,  that  this  track  down 
the  mountain  to  Malcom  belongs  to  him.  He 
wanted  your  people  to  build  a  switch  into  his 
coal  mines,  but  they  sidestepped  until  he  began 
building  it  himself.  Before  they  knew  what  he 
was  doing  he  had  built  it  to  Allegheny  Junction, 
and  to  a  competing  road.  It  cuts  off  from  us 
one  and  a  half  miles  from  the  station.  I  will 


AMERICAN  PEP  169 

set  you  in  there  and  you  wilt  roll  every  foot  of 
the  way  if  you  can  manage  the  other  end.  There 
is  a  shanty  you  can  open  with  a  switch  key  if 
you  want  to  telephone  ahead,  as  you  should,  to 
find  if  it's  clear  before  you  start." 

"  Are  you  sure  about  the  grade  all  the  way?  " 

"  I've  been  in  there  many  a  tune  after  coal. 
I  know  and  as  I  understand  it  he  wants  this  car 
worse  than  you  do  and  will  clear  it  for  you." 

"  Yes,  he  needs  it  just  as  bad  as  I  do." 

"  Then  you  will  be  stronger  on  his  track  than 
here.  Use  a  club,  a  gun,  anything  if  attacked, 
but  be  sure  your  brakes  are  right  before  you 
start  on  that  track.  It  has  bad  grades  and  is 
crooked  as  a  snake." 

"It's  a  new  car.  The  brakes  should  be  all 
right." 

"If  you  find  them  slipping,  say  your  prayers. 
But  you  ought  to  know  the  game,  you  have  run 
the  mountains  long  enough,"  consoled  Collins. 

"I'll  take  a  chance.  Malvoney  is  spending 
lots  of  time  and  money  to  keep  that  car  in  sight. 
It  is  either  the  car  I  want  or  holds  the  key  to 
the  situation.  I  am  going  to  have  it  or  go 
railroading  on  the  big  Cut  Off.  And  when  I 
get  it  back,  there  will  be  murder  if  it  don't  stay 


170  AMERICAN  PEP 

there."  Dorn  returned  to  his  firing,  eager  to 
try  out  the  man's  hazardous  and  daring  plan, 
and  now  little  impressed  that  he  had  seriously 
injured  Malvoney  by  breaking  the  chunk  of  coal 
between  his  eyes. 

Dorn  knew  that  this  ten  or  twelve  miles  of 
mountain  side  road  was  not  intended  for  much 
more  than  a  switch  to  reach  coal  and  hickory 
wood  for  charcoal.  It  was  a  bad  road,  a  suc- 
cession of  reverse  curves;  there  would  be  extreme 
danger.  Yet  were  not  those  who  traveled  the 
seas  in  constant  danger,  were  not  those  in  the 
trenches  and  aeroplanes,  those  who  were  fighting 
the  world's  battles,  hi  danger?  What  right  had 
he  to  give  peril  more  than  a  passing  thought? 
He  noticed  for  the  first  time  blood  on  the  shovel 
handle  from  his  blistered  hands,  but  the  coal 
went  in  just  the  same.  He  did  not  feel  the  hurt. 
He  was  thinking  again  of  the  tired  girl  standing 
at  the  window  of  Malcom's  Station  looking  out 
upon  the  track.  Perhaps  at  that  moment  she 
might  be  wondering  why  she  had  not  heard  from 
him  since  he  left  her  yesterday  at  noon. 

In  about  an  hour  the  fireman  came  forward 
and  said  he  was  recovered  sufficiently  to  go  to 
work  and  would  let  Dorn  off  at  Allegheny  Station. 


AMERICAN  PEP  171 

"Do  you  know  it  is  harder  to  loaf  than  to 
work?"  he  growled  as  he  took  the  shovel  even 
before  he  changed  his  clothes.  "Hell,  man, 
what  have  you  been  doing?"  he  added  as  he 
noticed  the  blood  on  both  ends  of  the  shovel 
handle. 

"That's  nothing,"  laughed  Dorn,  drawing  water 
from  the  tank  to  wash.  "Bleeding  blisters  on 
your  hands  don't  count.  It's  the  hurt  hands 
that  move  the  world  and  win  wars."  He  handed 
the  fireman  his  jacket  and  took  the  soap  he 
offered. 

The  engineer  had  turned  to  watch  them  both 
as  the  fireman  stooped  to  give  the  mogul  her 
carbon  diet.  "It's  only  about  ten  miles  more 
to  Allegheny  Junction,"  he  said,  "but  the 
worst  grade  we  have." 

Dorn  had  time  to  finish  washing  and  take  a 
short  rest  before  the  intersection  with  Malcom's 
road  was  reached.  This  was  something  over  a 
mile  from  the  station  and  town  known  as  Alle- 
gheny Junction. 

The  great  mogul  set  Dora's  car  in  on  the  little 
branch  at  a  place  where  it  could  be  set  in 
motion  merely  by  taking  off  the  brake.  Then 
the  engine  returned  to  the  train,  coupled  up 


172  AMERICAN  PEP 

quickly,  and  went  on,  with  Collins  and  the  fire- 
man waving  good  luck. 

Dorn  found  the  telephone  as  the  engineer  had 
said  in  a  little  shanty  which  he  opened  with  a 
switch  key.  In  a  few  moments  he  had  Miss 
Fraser  on  the  wire.  In  order  to  get  her  he  had 
to  take  the  risk  of  going  through  Malcom's 
office.  He  thought  he  recognized  Whaley's  voice 
on  the  wire  when  he  asked  to  be  connected  with 
the  station. 

"Is  there  anything  new  there?"  he  asked  the 
girl.  "This  is  the  first  time  I  have  had  a  chance 
to  call  you. " 

"No.  Everything  here  is  quiet,"  she  replied. 
"Where  are  you  now?" 

"  I  am  at  Allegheny  Junction.  I've  got  a  car  — 
I  think  the  car  —  and  I  am  going  to  ride  it  down 
the  mountain.  I  will  be  at  your  switch  in  about 
twenty-five  minutes.  Can  you  be  there  to  open 
the  switch  and  let  me  out  on  the  main  track  so 
.that  I  can  make  it  by  gravity  to  the  canyon 
switch?" 

"But  how  do  you  know  the  main  track  will 
be  clear  then?" 

"I  don't,  but  I  can't  wait  here.  Malvoney 
and  his  slugger  are  right  on  top  of  me.  They 


AMERICAN  PEP  173 

are  bold  and  may  be  here  any  moment.  See  if 
there  is  any  train  due  and  if  there  is  ask  the  dis- 
patcher to  hold  everything  out  of  Bald  Eagle 
both  ways  of  this  track.  Tell  him  you  have 
heard  of  a  runaway  car.  Can  you  do  that?" 

"Yes,  if  you  must  take  such  risks,  I  will  manage 
some  way.  How  do  you  know  you  have  the  right 
car?" 

"I  am  not  certain,  but  pretty  sure.  I'll  know 
before  I  start  down.  Have  the  switch  open  hi 
twenty  minutes.  Every  half  minute  is  impor- 
tant here.  Goodbye."  He  hung  up  the  re- 
ceiver and  snapped  the  switch  lock  on  the  shanty 
door. 

He  now  was  fully  resolved  to  break  the  seals 
and  see  what  was  in  that  car.  He  must  know. 
But  he  knew  he  must  move  quickly,  as  Malvoney 
or  his  manhandler  or  both  might  be  there  at 
any  moment. 

He  ran  to  the  car  standing  on  the  grade  strain- 
ing at  the  brakes.  He  examined  them  all  care- 
fully and  found  new  shoes  on  every  wheel.  He 
then  picked  up  the  stout  limb  of  a  tree  about 
two  feet  long  to  use  as  an  additional  leverage 
on  the  brake  wheel.  When  he  was  ready  to  start 
he  looked  carefully  about.  Seeing  no  one  he 


174  AMERICAN  PEP 

tore  the  seal  and  wire  from  the  end  of  the  pin 
holding  the  door  shut. 

He  trembled  with  anticipation  as  he  put  his 
weight  on  the  sliding  door  to  open  it.  Yes, 
by  heaven,  there  was  the  pad  that  he  had  put 
next  to  the  door,  and  there  was  the  great  stag 
head  on  the  end  of  the  little  iron-bound  cases! 
That  was  enough.  He  shoved  the  door  shut, 
inserted  the  phi  to  hold  it,  went  up  the  ladder 
like  a  monkey,  brandished  the  stout  club  in  his 
hands  in  defiance  to  danger  below,  and  let  off 
the  brake  with  a  great  sigh  of  relief,  but  this 
was  not  the  car  they  loaded  —  it  was  a  different 
number. 

The  car  began  to  move  down  the  grade,  as  soon 
as  he  let  off  the  brake,  into  a  deep  ravine  of  rock 
and  trees,  down  to  Malcom's  Station,  where 
Betty  would  have  the  main  track  clear  and  the 
switch  open,  so  that  he  could  ride  the  car  back 
to  the  canyon  switch  from  whence  it  had  started, 
and  then  —  but  he  refused  to  take  more  than  a 
sip  from  the  cup  of  delight.  Such  a  triumph 
and  vindication  of  every  one  and  himself!  He 
had  played  the  game  hard  and  on  the  square, 
and  it  could  end  hi  no  other  way  if  he  had  not 
killed  Malvoney. 


AMERICAN  PEP  175 

He  had  shoveled  about  ten  tons  of  coal,  a 
tiring  task  even  to  those  used  to  it.  His  hands 
were  still  bleeding  and  tender  as  the  exposed 
nerve  of  a  tooth.  Also,  from  facing  the  furnace 
all  that  time,  his  cheeks  were  hot  and  blistered. 
There  was  the  fearful  effect  of  the  heat  on  his 
eyeballs,  unused  to  the  glare  of  the  fire  box. 
But  now  he  was  insensible  to  all  this,  intoxicated 
with  triumph  as  the  car  gained  headway  slowly, 
creating  a  cool,  soothing  breeze  in  the  ravines 
and  woods.  He  raised  himself,  threw  out  his 
chest,  and  drank  in  the  delightful  air  as  if  it  were 
nectar. 

He  knew  that  great  care  must  be  exercised. 
He  had  the  evidence  for  which  he  had  fought, 
and  in  his  possession  were  fifty  tons  of  explosive 
that  would  level  the  whole  mountaintop  if  let 
loose.  The  warning  of  the  old  engineman,  Collins, 
came  forcibly  to  him  and  froze  the  contempla- 
tion of  anything  but  the  track  ahead  that  seemed 
terminating  every  moment  against  a  solid  wall 
of  rocks  and  trees  it  wound  about.  He  was 
forced  to  attend  closely  to  the  brakes  and  he 
realized  that  the  load  was  fully  the  maximum 
for  the  car. 

He  inserted  the  club  he  had  brought  in  the 


176  AMERICAN  PEP 

spokes  of  the  brake  wheel,  but  this  had  little 
noticeable  effect  and  the  car  continued  to  gain 
speed  rapidly.  Perhaps,  he  hoped,  it  was  only 
a  temporary  grade,  after  which  the  brakes  would 
hold  better.  But  his  speed  increased  until  he 
had  to  brace  himself  at  each  new  curve.  He 
could  hear  ±he  tracks  sing  and  crack  ahead  of 
him,  as  if  to  warn  of  the  approach  of  a  hurtling 
body  of  wood  and  steel  loaded  to  its  full  capacity 
with  a  sleeping  volcano  that  if  excited  by  suffi- 
cient jar  or  heat  would  —  but  he  allowed  his 
mind  to  go  no  farther.  He  took  up  several 
notches  on  the  brake  and  leaned  over  to  see  its 
effect  on  the  wheel  that  in  the  diminishing  light 
of  the  canyon  gave  out  a  flame  of  sparks,  as 
does  a  great  emery  wheel. 

Dorn  was  now  compelled  to  hold  to  the  brake 
wheel  to  retain  his  position  on  top  of  the  car. 
He  believed  the  speed  would  diminish  when 
the  grade  was  less,  but  the  great  load  carried 
over  the  lesser  grades  like  a  toboggan  and  went 
against  the  little  one-and-a-half-inch  flanges  on 
the  wheels  that  held  them  to  the  track  with 
thuds  that  he  knew  were  positively  precarious. 

The  car  swayed  and  trembled  as  it  acquired 
express  speed  and  Dorn  felt  the  sickening  terror 


AMERICAN  PEP  177 

of  one  who  has  lost  control  of  elements  which 
he  knows  will  destroy  him.  One  moment  he 
seemed  headed  for  a  solid  wall  and  then  the  car 
would  plunge  around  a  sharp  curve  to  escape 
it  with  such  force  that  Dorn  could  feel  the  out- 
side wheels  rise  from  the  track  and  fall  back 
again  with  a  jar  that  made  him  think  in  terror 
of  the  effect  upon  his  load  of  explosive.  His 
terror  grew  to  a  point  where  he  was  unable  to 
look  down  at  the  deep  canyon  declivities  beside 
the  track. 

He  realized  that  he  had  tightened  his  brake 
to  the  last  notch  with  the  addition  of  his  club 
and  his  long  body  as  a  leverage,  and  yet  his 
speed  increased  frightfully.  He  began  to  think 
despairingly  of  his  long,  intensive  effort  to  vindi- 
cate others  and  himself  and  save  such  value  for 
the  Government;  was  it  going  to  end  there  in 
the  canyon  with  the  destruction  that  fifty  tons 
of  explosive  would  work!  Such  fear  paralyzed 
him. 

A  few  mountain  folks  who  could  hear  him 
coming  for  a  long  way  stood  well  back  from  the 
track  frozen  with  fear  as  the  runaway  car  passed 
them  so  fast  that  they  appeared  to  Dorn  as 
blurred  figures  slightly  resembling  human  forms. 


1 78  AMERICAN  PEP 

Dorn  had  driven  a  locomotive  on  the  mountains 
and  knew  when  speed  became  unsafe.  He  rea- 
lized that  now  his  car  might  leave  the  track  at 
any  moment,  and  then  —  at  this  point  there  came 
a  calm  in  his  mental  turmoil.  He  gathered  his 
long  legs  and  arms  about  the  brake  wheel  and 
waited  for  sure  death.  He  began  to  wonder  how 
long  it  would  be  after  the  car  left  the  rails  before 
the  hellish  charge  of  explosives  would  go  off. 
Betty  would  be  there  at  the  switch  waiting  but 
his  mind  could  not  focus  on  that  added  horror. 
Even  though  miles  away  the  explosion  would  kill 
or  mutilate  her. 

When  he  pulled  himself  together  he  realized 
that  the  terrifying  thumping  on  the  flanges  had 
grown  less.  He  opened  his  eyes  slowly  hoping 
against  hope  to  see  before  him  a  comparatively 
level  track  ahead.  The  car  was  .slackening  its 
speed  and  a  mile  and  a  half  below  him  he  could 
see  the  town  of  Malcom's.  The  brakes  were 
holding.  He  loosened  his  hold  of  the  wheel  and 
leaned  over  to  see  if  the  car  actually  were  stopping. 
He  found  that  the  brakes  were  red  hot.  Still 
dazed  and  uncertain  he  realized  he  must  release 
them  slightly  or  they  would  freeze  to  the  wheel 
and  stop  him  completely.  But  when  he  attempted 


AMERICAN  PEP  iy9 

to  release  the  brakes  he  learned  that  his  strength 
of  first  desperation  had  left  him.  He  felt  weaker 
than  a  child,  yet  not  to  release  the  brakes  would 
mean  another  catastrophe  that  must  be  pre- 
vented. Iron  will  flogged  his  body  again.  It 
required  every  atom  of  strength  he  could  muster 
to  release  it  enough  to  allow  the  shoes  to  cool  for 
an  instant.  He  then  brought  them  up  firm  again, 
and  now  his  feeling  of  relief  knew  no  bounds 
though  he  still  flew  to  the  edge  of  the  village 
where  the  track  intersected  with  the  main  line. 
In  a  moment  he  would  be  at  the  switch.  Betty 
would  be  there  to  let  him  in  on  it  and  on  the 
canyon  switch  of  the  powder  works.  Here  the 
canyon  would  be  guarded  and  a  special  guard 
must  be  placed  over  this  car  until  the  mystery 
of  the  theft  could  be  solved. 

Then  he  rounded  the  last  curve  and  from  behind 
a  clump  of  trees  he  could  see  the  switch  to  their 
main  track  some  fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the 
station.  Yes,  thank  God,  Betty  was  there! 
He  knew  she  would  be,  and  the  target  over  the 
switch  showed  that  it  was  open,  right.  He 
adjusted  his  brake,  bringing  his  speed  down  no 
more  than  he  was  sure  would  carry  him  to  the 
main  track,  and  into  the  canyon.  He  ran  down 


i8o  AMERICAN  PEP 

the  ladder  to  the  last  step,  held  on  with  one 
hand,  and  with  his  free  hand  touched  Betty's 
in  an  instant  clasp  as  the  car  passed  her  and 
took  the  switch. 

"I've  got  it  this  time  sure,"  he  cried  c-iit  as  he 
pointed  to  the  car.  There  was  intoxication  in 
her  look  of  approval  as  she  pointed  toward  the 
station,  indicating  that  he  was  wanted  there. 
He  nodded  that  he  understood  and  climbed  back 
to  the  top  of  the  car  as  it  rolled  along  driven 
by  gravity  down  past  the  station  and  the  guard 
standing  at  the  mouth  of  Bald  Eagle  Canyon. 

Dorn  had  lived  a  lifetime  in  the  last  thirty 
minutes  and  emerged  from  a  hair-turning  experi- 
ence into  the  Heaven  of  Betty's  approval  but 
now  entered  what  always  had  seemed  to  him 
the  granite  roadway  to  hell,  the  powder-mill 
switch  in  Bald  Eagle  Canyon. 


Chapter  Eighteen 


BETTY  FRASER  AGAIN  HAD  BEEN 
left  alone  with  double  duties  to  perform. 
She  was  commencing  to  feel  the  intensive 
strain  effected  by  the  incredible  miscarriage  of 
the  valuable  and  dangerous  freight,  and  evident 
bold  daring  crime. 

Every  time  the  train  dispatcher  or  super- 
intendent came  in  on  the  wire  she  felt  the  appre- 
hension of  uncertainty.  And  when  there  was  a 
wireless  message  she  trembled  for  fear  it  might 
be  some  order  affecting  Dorn. 

Mr.  Malcom  had  surprised  her  by  his  quiet 
attitude,  yet  she  felt  sure  a  volcano  would  break 
any  time  with  terrible  force  upon  the  guilty. 

Like  nearly  all  the  residents  of  the  mountain 
community  she  regarded  him  with  deep  respect. 
As  soon  as  Dorn's  telephone  call  reached  her  she 
at  once  hastened  to  tell  Mr.  Malcom  the  great 
news.  To  her  relief  the  powdermaker  himself 
answered  the  telephone. 


1 82  AMERICAN  PEP 

"He  asked  me  to  have  the  switch  from  your 
line  open,"  she  ended,  "to  let  him  out  on  the 
main  track  with  the  car  he  is  to  ride  down  the 
mountain.  He  said  he  would  be  there  in  twenty 
minutes." 

"I  am  sorry  he  did  not  wait  to  have  us  send  him 
an  engine.  There  are  grades  for  considerable 
distance,  and  I  am  fearful  no  hand  brakes  will 
hold  a  loaded  car  on  them." 

"He  explained  that  every  half  minute  counted 
and  that  he  could  not  delay,  Mr.  Malcom.  He 
spoke  as  if  he  knew  just  what  he  was  doing." 

"He  is  indeed  brave  to  start  down  the  moun- 
tain track  with  that  car  if  he  knows  the  nature 
of  the  grades,"  Mr.  Malcom  replied  with  grim 
anxiety. 

Before  Betty  opened  the  switch  she  must 
ascertain  if  there  were  anything  on  the  road  going 
in  either  direction.  The  dispatcher  replied 
promptly  that  there  was  nothing.  With  only  a 
few  moments  left  she  hurried  up  the  track  almost 
a  third  of  a  mile,  unlocked  the  switch,  opened  it 
to  the  main  track,  and  not  a  moment  too  soon. 
The  speed  that  seemed  to  Dorn  as  moderate 
appeared  reckless  to  her  as  she  stood  at  the 
switch.  Out  of  the  trees  around  the  curve  the 


AMERICAN  PEP  183 

car  came.  She  saw  Dorn  adjust  the  brake,  run 
down  the  ladder,  hold  out  his  hand  which  she 
touched  with  delight,  and  heard  his  assurance 
that  he  had  the  right  car.  The  wheels  bumped 
over  the  switch  and  Dorn  disappeared  in  the 
canyon. 

Betty's  joy  at  his  deliverance  and  the  knowl- 
edge that  he  had  the  right  car,  added  to  even  a 
fleeting  touch  of  his  hand,  filled  her  with  new  life 
and  courage.  She  remained  motionless  even  after 
she  saw  the  car  disappear,  but  suddenly  realizing 
insistent  duties  she  grasped  the  lever  and  closed 
the  switch.  As  she  clasped  the  heavy  padlock 
she  found  it  wet  and  sticky.  Examining  it 
closer  she  found  that  it  was  covered  with  fresh 
blood.  She  glanced  incredulously  into  her  stained 
hand  which  had  held  the  lock.  Then  came  to 
her  the  fearfully  depressing  fact  that  it  was 
Dorn's  blood  from  his  bruised  and  aching  hands. 
Yet  he  had  been  exultant  and  cheerful  as  he 
called  to  her  in  passing.  But  in  her  active 
imagination  she  saw  his  day's  activities  as  she 
slowly  walked  back  to  the  station.  Tears  that 
she  never  could  have  shed  for  her  own  pain  now 
came  in  a  flood  and  mingled  with  his  blood  on  her 
handkerchief. 


184  AMERICAN  PEP 

Mr.  Malcom  seldom  came  to  the  station  except 
to  take  a  train  and  Betty  was  astonished  to  see 
him  waiting  there. 

"I  came  down  to  witness  the  bravest  work  ever 
performed,"  he  explained.  "No  man  on  battle- 
field has  shown  greater  courage  and  exercised 
such  skill  and  judgment.  I  want  to  be  the  first 
to  shake  his  hand  and  tell  him  that  we  are  proud 
of  him." 

Betty  glowed  al  his  praise  and  flushed  as  if  it 
had  been  directed  toward  herself.  "Yes,"  she 
stammered,  "it  was  magnificent  courage."  She 
went  to  the  basin  to  wash  the  stain  from  her 
hands.  "And  look!"  she  cried,  pointing  to  the 
dark  red  blotches,  "see  what  it  has  cost  him!" 

"He  will  return  here  at  once,  won't  he?" 

"Yes,  I  told  him  he  was  wanted  here  and  he 
signalled  that  he  would  come." 

"I  shall  be  glad  to  see  him.  For  the  last  few 
days  I  have  actually  found  myself  suspicious  of 
those  I  thought  true  as  steel,  but  this  cursed 
mystery  has  almost  unseated  my  reason." 

"Everyone  will  be  relieved,"  she  said.  "Wash- 
ington has  been  asking  for  Dorn  for  more  than  an 
hour  and  I  am  so  glad  he  now  can  reply  to  them. 
I  feel  as  if  some  important  information  about 


AMERICAN  PEP  185 

this  matter  must  have  developed."  Betty  moved 
to  the  bay  window  and  anxiously  watched  the 
track,  expecting  to  see  Dorn  appear  at  any 
moment  from  the  canyon. 

"Have  you  sent  a  guard  to  watch  that  car?" 
she  asked  suddenly. 

"Yes,  I  left  orders  with  Whaley  to  send  men 
down  there  at  once,  and  I  heard  him  telephoning 
my  order.  I  want  to  ask  Washington  for  another 
squad  of  Marines.  My  men  should  be  with  the 
car  by  this  time,  doubtless  before  Dorn  left  it. 
They  will  stay  until  relieved  by  the  Marines." 

Betty  had  wheeled  from  the  window  while  he 
was  talking  and  now  came  to  him  with  troubled 
eyes.  "You  say  you  left  that  order  with  — 
Whaley  —  "  she  faltered,  then  bit  her  lips  hard. 
She  remembered  Dorn's  orders  to  utter  no  sus- 
picion without  proof  but  there  was  proof  now. 
"Then,  oh  then,  come,"  she  pleaded  with  a 
sharp  breath,  "we  must  go  down  there  at  once 
and  make  sure  everything  is  all  right.  I  am 
commencing  to  feel  frightened." 

Malcom  studied  her  white  face  and  knew  that 
she  was  checking  great  fear  and  suspicion  of 
Whaley  to  more  definite  form.  "He  must  have 
reached  the  siding,"  he  said  gravely,  "and  it  is 


1 86  AMERICAN  PEP 

strange  he  does  not  return.  Yes,  you  are  right, 
we  better  go  down." 

She  turned  quickly.  "  I  can  leave  now  at  once," 
she  said  and  adjusted  her  hat.  She  followed 
Malcom  out,  locking  the  doors  behind  her. 

They  turned  down  the  track  toward  the  entrance 
to  the  canyon.  Betty  was  filled  with  terrifying 
misgivings  over  this  incalculable  misplacement 
of  Mr.  Malcom's  trust.  He  had  left  his  impor- 
tant message  in  the  unreliable  and  perhaps 
traitorous  hands  of  Whaley.  She  looked  at  the 
big  man  askance,  wondering  at  his  almost  child- 
like faith  in  even  the  meanest  of  his  employees. 
Surely  he  must  have  seen,  as  she  and  Dorn  had 
seen,  the  yellow  streak  in  Whaley. 

"This  is  what  it  comes  to,"  the  manufacturer 
was  saying  as  they  hurried  forward.  "We  load 
a  car  with  all  the  care  possible  and  send  it  away 
under  military  escort,  guarded  every  moment. 
But  it  arrives  at  tide-water,  empty.  This  fifty 
tons  of  freight,  worth  over  a  hundred  thousand 
dollars  and  wanted  in  Europe  on  battlefields 
about  as  bad  as  the  breath  of  life,  is  evidently 
transferred  to  another  car,  which  was  taken  from 
this  track  as  empty.  All  the  railroad  detectives 
admit  that  they  are  up  against  a  wall.  Dorn 


AMERICAN  PEP  187 

finds  the  car  and  brings  it  back  single  handed." 
He  looked  down  the  track  in  the  deepening 
gloom. 

"Mr.  Dorn's  energy  and  force  in  this  matter 
have  been  wonderful,  prodigious,"  Betty  agreed. 
"He  has  apparently  accomplished  the  impos- 
sible." 

"That's  a  cheering  aspect,  but  the  terribly 
depressing  angle  is  that  with  an  armed  guard  at 
both  ends  of  this  otherwise  inaccessible  canyon, 
which  has  been  honest  and  clear  laced  for  two 
centuries,  it  still  has  developed  that  we  are  involved 
in  an  impenetrable  intrigue.  It  makes  a  profit- 
able field  for  our  national  enemy's  operation. 
Yet,  I  could  swear  that  every  man  working  here 
safe.  I  know  them  all  but  —  but  —  Each  has 
been  raised  here,  all  have  the  blood.  How  can 
it  be?"  He  finished  with  the  anguish  of  a 
father  forced  to  face  the  perfidy  of  his  child. 

"It  is  the  work  of  spies  and  enemies,"  she 
ventured,  "and  indeed  clever  work,  but  with  an 
accomplice  inside." 

"But  all  my  people  are  as  true  as  steel."  Yet 
his  voice  held  a  wistful  question  which  seemed 
to  invite  her  to  tell  what  she  knew. 

"Such    uncompromising    confidence    in    your 


1 88  AMERICAN  PEP 

people  is  part  of  your  nature,"  she  said  gently, 
"and  makes  you  beloved  by  all  men  in  this  com- 
munity, but  I  now  am  going  to  brave  your  pos- 
sible displeasure  to  tell  you  that  I  believe  you 
have  a  traitor  and  a  spy  right  in  your  own  office, 
who  has  aided  this  nefarious  scheme." 

"Who  is  it?"  as  though  warding  a  blow. 

"Whaley,"  she  replied  with  equal  brevity, 
yet  her  voice  shook.  "Whaley,  the  very  man  you 
have  entrusted  to  send  a  guard  for  this  car  a 
moment  ago." 

"How  do  you  know  he  is  a  spy?"  came  back 
like  the  crack  of  a  whip. 

"I  knew  you  would  ask  that,  and  this  was  the 
reason  I  could  not  tell  you  before.  I  only  can 
say  that  we  know  some  things  by  instinct  more 
certainly  than  if  we  were  given  positive  proof. 
Mr.  Dorn  and  I  have  been  waiting  for  that  proof. 
Perhaps  we  were  wrong  not  to  speak  before. 
We  knew  Whaley  was  bad.  We  should  drive 
these  traitors  from  here.  The  Germans  here 
must  be  stopped.  This  must  be  a  Marne  and 
there  must  be  a  Joffre.  It  may  be  that  this  is 
the  result  of  demanding  too  much  proof." 

"You  may  be  right,  child,  but  on  account  of 
such  boldness  under  my  very  eye,  my  suspicions 


AMERICAN  PEP  189 

have  centered  in  that  conductor  who  rebelled  the 
other  night." 

"But  he,  alone,  could  have  done  nothing, 
without  the  help  of  spies  within  your  own  plant." 

"I  begin  to  realize  that  war  brings  terrible 
things.  And  Dorn,"  he  added  with  deep  feeling, 
"Dorn  is  our  brave,  capable  man.  He  is  our 
Joffre." 

"But  where  is  he?"  she  cried  out  with  a  new 
quick  fear.  "And  where  is  the  car?"  They  were 
approaching  the  switch  where  both  should  have 
been;  the  siding  was  empty  and  neither  Dorn 
nor  the  car  was  in  sight.  Down  the  tracks 
towards  the  mill  they  saw  men  led  by  Whaley 
coming. 

Then  Betty's  attention  was  instantly  drawn 
to  Mr.  Malcom  as  he  stooped  beside  the  concrete 
platform  with  a  groan.  She  rushed  to  his  side 
and  found  him  bending  over  the  prostrate  figure 
of  Dorn. 


Chapter  Nineteen 


AFTER  HER  FIRST  SHARP  CRY  OF 
fear  Betty  remained  white  and  still. 
Then  she  came  slowly  forward  and  bent 
above  Dorn's  bleeding  head.  Gently  she  sat  down, 
and  raised  it  until  it  rested  on  the  soft  cushion  of 
her  dress. 

Malcom  turned  to  Whaley  and  the  men,  iron 
in  his  soul.  "Get  a  stretcher,"  he  ordered,  "and 
take  Mr.  Dorn  to  the  powder  mill  hospital." 
Several  of  the  men  darted  away  to  do  his  bidding, 
but  Whaley  stood  limp  and  inert  looking  down 
upon  the  bruised  head  resting  against  Miss  Fra- 
ser's  shielding  arms. 

"You  were  too  late,  Whaley,"  said  Malcom 
sternly.  "The  car  is  gone!" 

"Gone!"    His  messenger  looked  blank. 

Malcom  swept  his  hand  toward  the  empty 
siding. 

"I  did  not  understand  your  directions  perfectly, 
sir,"  explained  Whaley  in  a  low  tone.  "We  went 


AMERICAN  PEP  191 

to  the  siding  by  the  station  first,  and  found 
nothing  there.  It  took  us  some  time  to  come 
back  here  to  the  office  for  better  instructions." 

"You  knew  what  I  meant,  Whaley."  There 
was  the  hard  note  of  an  iron  will  under  strong 
repression  in  Malcom's  sharp  bitten  words. 
Whaley  flinched  and  went  back  to  the  mill. 

"My  God,  Betty!"  Malcom  cried  out.  "I 
believe  you  were  right.  But  I  feel  as  powerless 
as  a  child.  He  has  made  it  look  straight  enough. 
He  may  have  misunderstood.  If  he  is  crooked, 
then  he  is  as  tricky  as  hell."  This  was  the  first 
time  Betty  ever  had  seen  the  old  powder  maker 
roused. 

She  had  no  power  of  thought  or  words.  Her 
heart  was  pounding  with  a  sickening  pain  because 
beneath  her  hand  she  could  feel  no  stirring  of 
Dorn's  pulse.  He  had  given  his  big  life  away 
in  a  final  defeat.  This,  more  than  his  bodily 
injury,  seemed  to  stun  her  power  of  thought. 

Malcom  and  Betty  both  realized  how  much 
had  been  depending  upon  Dorn.  Now  that  he 
was  helpless  they  felt  the  sudden  onrush  of  panic. 
After  giving  his  orders  to  the  men  to  carry  Dorn 
to  the  powder  mill  hospital  Malcom  seemed 
powerless  to  accomplish  more.  He  stood  in- 


192  AMERICAN  PEP 

active,  simply  waiting.  Yet  somewhere  in  his 
own  mountains  that  car  must  still  be  moving 
from  them.  His  mind  refused  to  focus  on  the 
problem.  He  felt  for  the  moment  like  an  im- 
potent and  feeble  old  man,  waiting  for  his 
bulwark  of  strength  to  return. 

The  men  arrived  with  the  stretcher  and  Betty 
helped  them  lift  Dorn  gently  to  its  canvas  length. 
She  stood  silent  and  motionless  watching  them 
carry  him  away  toward  the  hospital.  She  longed 
to  follow  and  to  nurse  him  if  life  still  remained, 
but  she  knew  she  must  return  to  her  post  at  the 
station. 

Once  back  in  the  little  office  the  memory  of 
Dorn's  presence  seemed  to  bring  her  fresh  energy. 
She  went  to  the  telegraph  instrument  and  sent 
out  frantic  messages,  some  wildly,  others  more 
coherent,  in  an  effort  to  trace  and  check  the  move- 
ments of  the  stolen  car.  Malcom  joined  her  a 
few  moments  later  and  he  too  helped  hi  the 
search  by  wire.  But  their  isolation  stood  hi  the 
way.  The  car  seemed  to  have  disappeared, 
as  at  first,  into  the  air  or  into  the  depths  of  the 
earth.  At  the  end  of  the  afternoon,  spent  and 
discouraged,  Betty  gave  up  her  task  and  walked 
slowly  toward  the  hospital. 


AMERICAN  PEP  193 

Dorn  had  not  yet  recovered  consciousness, 
although  the  doctor  held  hope. 

Betty  had  eaten  no  evening  meal,  yet  felt  little 
hunger.  She  forced  herself  to  drink  strong  coffee, 
then  went  to  consult  Mr.  Malcom  again.  She 
learned  from  him  that  several  men  from  the 
detective  bureau  at  Washington  were  on  their 
way  to  Malcom's  Station  to  help  unravel  the 
new  phase  of  the  mystery.  In  addition  the  rail- 
road was  sending  a  new  telegraph  operator  to 
relieve  Betty  of  her  double  duty. 

"I  am  glad,"  she  said  quietly,  "because  I  have 
almost  decided  I  must  get  right  down  into  this 
thing,  that  I  must  play  more  than  a  waiting 
woman's  part."  She  spoke  wearily  only  because 
her  body  was  literally  worn  out.  But  the  deep 
light  in  her  eyes  belied  the  heaviness  of  her  tone 
and  the  slow  raising  of  her  tired  lids.  Tomorrow, 
after  a  night's  rest,  she  was  determined  to  enter 
the  battle  with  all  a  woman's  weapons. 

"What  do  you  mean,  Betty?"  he  reproached. 
"You  cannot  leave  us  now.  Not  while  Dorn  is 
undone." 

"I  shall  wait  until  I  know  he  is  better,"  she 
said  in  her  tired  voice.  "But  I  have  certain 
intuitions,  instincts,  perhaps,  which  I  am  going  to- 


i94  AMERICAN  PEP 

follow.  To  voice  them  would  sound  merely 
womanish.  All  I  can  do  is  work  them  out  blindly. 
I  have  done  all  I  can  here.  They  have  the  car 
now,  again;  and  it  is  not  beyond  our  reach. 
I  believe  I  know  a  way  to  follow  it." 

"You  should  tell  me,  Betty.  I  have  been 
left  too  much  in  the  dark,"  said  the  powder 
maker,  smarting  and  dazed  by  the  more  certain 
duplicity  of  Whaley. 

"I  cannot  tell  you  because  my  purpose  is  hazy, 
even  to  myself.  You'll  have  to  trust  me,  that's 
all.  I  merely  know  that  I  shall  no  longer  sit  here 
as  a  puppet  behind  wires.  I  am  restless  fighting 
only  with  mechanical  tools  and  electricity.  I 
want  to  get  into  it  with  my  own  hands  and  my 
mind  and  my  blood." 

He  seemed  to  shudder.  "  We  must  not  be  hasty." 

"You  know,"  she  reminded  gently,  "that  the 
war  department  has  asked  all  wireless  operators 
who  could,  to  enlist.  They  have  said  that  pro- 
visions would  be  made  immediately  to  relieve 
any  who  would  give  service  in  army  or  navy. 
Just  let  me  try  to  thrash  out  a  plan.  I  am  too 
tired  tonight  but  tomorrow  I  shall  have  a  clearer 
vision." 

Malcom  placed  a  gentle  hand  on  her  shoulder. 


AMERICAN  PEP  195 

"You're  a  brave  girl,  Betty,  and  I  am  proud  of 
you.    You  can  count  on  my  help  and  support." 

"I  knew  that,"  she  smiled,  and  went  wearily 
from  his  office.  Tonight  she  experienced  no 
sense  of  buoyancy.  Her  heart  was  heavy  and 
she  felt  strangely  alone.  She  seemed  cut  off 
from  some  vital  mental  current  that  until  now 
had  upheld  her. 

But  when  she  reached  her  room  she  found  a 
message  which  immediately  electrified  her.  It 
was  from  Dorn.  He  was  conscious  and  wanted 
to  see  her  at  once.  Weariness  fell  from  her. 
Her  eyes  brightened.  She  dashed  cold  water  on 
her  face,  smoothed  her  hair  and  rushed  out  into 
the  now  darkened  streets.  She  sped  to  the 
hospital  and  was  at  once  admitted  by  a  white- 
capped  nurse. 

"He  must  not  talk  long,"  the  nurse  reminded 
her.  "Just  let  him  see  you  and  make  sure  you 
are  safe.  He  has  seemed  strangely  worried 
about  you." 

Betty  nodded  and  followed  the  nurse  to  Dorn's 
cot.  He  was  smiling  as  they  came  toward  him. 
He  stretched  out  his  hand  and  even  in  its  weak- 
ness Betty  experienced  hi  his  touch  a  sense  of  re- 
established strength. 


196  AMERICAN  PEP 

"They  haven't  finished  me,"  he  grinned. 

"No,"  she  exulted,  "and  they  can't." 

"Not  until  we  are  all  through,  anyhow." 

"And  we  haven't  even  commenced  yet." 
Her  voice  was  tense  in  its  determination.  "I 
am  going  to  get  into  it  in  earnest.  Hurry  and 
get  well,  Jack,  because  I  can't  go  until  you  do." 

"Go  where,  Betty?" 

"I  don't  know  yet.  But  we  can't  just  sit  here 
and  wait." 

"I  think  I  understand  you.  I'll  hurry  and 
get  well." 

The  nurse  checked  them  and  Betty  had  to  go. 
But  her  step  was  firm  and  light  as  if  she  had 
rested  many  hours.  She  felt  so  refreshed  she 
decided  to  return  to  the  office  and  straighten  out 
her  desk  for  a  possible  successor.  There  would  be 
no  time  to  waste  next  day  in  details  of  routine. 

At  the  station  she  was  not  surprised  to  find 
Whaley  evidently  waiting  for  her.  It  was  almost 
as  if  the  force  of  her  own  desire  had  called  him 
forth.  At  sight  of  him  her  blood  ran  hot  and 
her  round  knuckles  gleamed  white  in  her  clenched 
fist. 

"I  came  to  inquire  after  Dorn,"  he  said.  His 
face  was  pasty  and  his  eyelids  twitched. 


AMERICAN  PEP  197 

"He  is  little  better,"  she  lied.  "This  is  not  the 
place  for  living  men,  or,"  she  added  bitterly, 
"for  human  women  either." 

"Perhaps  you'd  like  to  get  out?"  he  prodded. 

"I'm  going  to  get  out.  I'll  take  the  first  job 
that  offers."  Her  heart  was  pounding  harder  as 
she  played  her  first  card.  Whaley  followed  her 
lead. 

"Say,"  he  encouraged,  "how  do  you  stand 
with  the  old  man  and  Dorn?" 

"I  don't  stand  at  all,"  she  burst  out,  as  if 
giving  confidence.  "They're  sending  some  one 
down  here  to  take  my  place.  They  think  I've 
fallen  down  on  the  job.  That's  all  the  thanks  I 
get  for  killing  myself  in  this  hole." 

Whaley  opened  his  eyes  wide.  In  all  the  years 
he  had  seen  her  about  the  little  town  this  was  the 
first  time  Betty  had  ever  spoken  more  than  two 
words  to  him  of  her  own  accord.  "I  wouldn't 
stand  for  it,"  he  sympathized  eagerly.  "I  think 
I  know  something  you'd  like  fine.  Shall  I  see 
if  I  can  land  it  for  you?" 

"Might  as  well,  but  it  will  have  to  be  quick. 
I'm  leaving  here  hi  a  day  or  two." 

"I'll  know  in  the  morning,"  he  promised. 


198  AMERICAN  PEP 

She  nodded  and  entered  the  office,  waving  to 
him  in  dismissal. 

She  watched  him  in  the  darkness  until  she 
knew  he  was  some  distance  away,  then  went  at 
once  to  call  Malcom  on  his  private  telephone. 
She  knew  he  would  then  be  free  from  Whaley's 
listening  ear.  Mr.  Malcom,  himself,  answered 
her. 

"  If  Whaley  asks  for  leave  of  absence,  or  shows 
signs  of  going  away,"  she  suggested,  "let  him  go. 
It  is  part  of  my  plan  to  follow  him  and  if  possible 
to  accompany  him.  But  I  shall  need  first  an 
interview  with  authorities  at  Washington.  Can 
you  arrange  to  send  with  me  a  certified  messenger 
with  an  explanation  and  indorsement  over  your 
signature?" 

"Yes,  how  soon  do  you  want  to  go?" 

"By  to-morrow  evening  at  the  latest.  I  am 
to  see  Whaley  again  in  the  morning  and  I  want  to 
make  sure  Mr.  Dorn  is  fully  recovered,  with  no 
possibility  of  a  set-back,  before  I  go.  In  his 
weakened  condition  it  will  be  better  if  we  do  not 
tell  him  where  I  am  going  or  with  whom.  He 
will  worry." 

"I    understand,"    replied    Malcom.     "I    can 


AMERICAN  PEP  199 

have  Mr.  Broadhurst  ready  to  accompany  you. 
I  have  sent  him  to  Washington  on  special  errands 
before,  and  he  is  known  there.  I  shall  be  glad 
also  to  feel  that  you  are  in  his  safe  care." 

So  with  a  little  sigh  Betty  once  more  turned 
to  her  desk,  worked  over  her  papers  for  about 
an  hour,  then  with  the  flood  of  her  weariness 
full  returning,  walked  slowly  home. 


Chapter  "Twenty 


EARLY  NEXT  MORNING  BETTY 
woke  refreshed  and  doubly  determined. 
Her  first  move  was  to  telephone  the 
hospital.  She  found  that  Dorn  was  rapidly 
improving  and  eager  to  see  her,  so  she  went  to 
him  at  once  before  opening  the  station.  She 
was  amazed  to  rind  him  up  and  fully  dressed. 

"But  is  this  wise?"  she  asked  anxiously. 

"It's  against  orders,"  he  admitted,  "but  I'm 
blamed  if  I'll  stay  bundled  up  in  here  while  you 
do  the  fighting.  This  is  no  time  to  be  sick. 
Besides,  I'm  all  right  except  for  an  opening  in 
my  upper  works  and  I  am  told  that  is  held  to- 
gether by  a  dozen  or  more  strong  stitches.  You 
see,  the  doctor,  not  knowing  how  much  solid 
bone  there  is  up  there,  is  afraid  enough  injury 
has  been  done  to  cause  a  pressure.  They  fear 
that  if  my  benevolence  supposed  to  be  located  in 
the  top  is  caved  in,  and  my  fighting  powers  remain 
intact,  I  might  violate  some  one's  personal 


AMERICAN  PEP  201 

liberty  if  turned  loose.  I  think  Malvoney  is 
worse  right  now,"  and  thus  related  briefly  his 
experience  in  Pittsburg  and  assault  on  Malvoney 
on  his  way  up  the  mountain. 

Betty  was  troubled  by  his  light  tone  for  it 
indicated  to  her  his  effort  to  conceal  pain.  "But 
you  should  go  slowly  now,  Jack,"  she  reminded, 
"  so  that  you  will  be  able  to  fight  harder  when  we 
reach  the  real  battle  ground.  Yet,"  she  added 
with  quick  understanding,  "I  know  how  hard 
it  is  to  sit  still.  Tell  me  what  happened,  can 
you?" 

"Not  fully,  for  I  do  not  know.  After  I  passed 
you  I  worked  the  car's  speed  down  enough  so 
that  I  could  run  ahead  and  open  the  switch  and 
let  it  hi  on  the  siding.  That  is  not  a  very  easy 
thing  to  do  and  if  I  had  missed  it  I  might  yet  be 
going  down  the  mountain,  at  least  until  I  met  a 
train  coming  up.  I  got  the  car  in  on  the  siding, 
cleared  the  main  track  by  shutting  and  locking 
the  switch,  then  I  felt  sort  of  collapsed,  so  before 
coming  up  to  the  station  at  once,  as  I  should, 
I  climbed  to  the  little  concrete  loading  platform 
and  sat  with  my  legs  a-dangle,  to  rest  a  bit.  My 
eyeballs  burned  so  that  I  placed  my  head  between 
my  hands  and  my  elbows  on  my  knees.  I  had 


202  AMERICAN  PEP 

been  working  in  the  glare  and  heat  of  a  mogul 
machine  for  several  hours  without  being  used  to 
it  The  fireman  shammed  sick  and  I  shoveled 
the  coal.  As  I  sat  there,  Betty,  although  undone, 
I  was  really  happy  for  the  first  time  in  my  life. 
Do  you  know  what  came  to  my  mind  then?" 

"That  you  had  saved  the  Government  and  the 
road  and  had  vindicated  us." 

"Well,  yes,  I  admit  I  thought  of  all  that,  but  a 
sweeter  thought  held  me  there.  I  was  glad  I  had 
squared  myself  with  the  Government,  the  railroad 
and  Mr.  Malcom,  and  that  I  had  done  something 
the  Federal  men  or  the  railroad  detectives  could 
not  do.  I  was  glad  I  had  outdone  single-handed, 
without  a  cent,  what  the  German  conspirators 
and  spies  were  spending  loads  of  time  and  money 
to  accomplish.  Altogether,  Betty,  I  declared  an 
awful  big  dividend  on  myself  as  I  sat  there  nurs- 
ing tired  bones  and  burning  flesh.  But  that  wasn't 
the  big  idea;  that  wasn't  what  made  me  happy 
for  the  first  time  hi  my  life."  Then  by  irresist- 
ible attraction  he  drew  her  eyes  to  his  as  they 
sat  apart,  and  he  continued.  "The  big  thought 
that  took  me  into  another  world,  Betty,  was  the 
fact  that  you  had  trusted  me  and  that  I  had  saved 
our  reputation  here  hi  your  town  at  the  little 


AMERICAN  PEP  203 

station,  that  I  had  made  good  with  you,  and 
more,  the  solemn  fact  fastened  upon  me  then  that 
you  belonged  to  me  — " 

"But,  Jack,  you  must  not  talk  now.  There  is 
so  much  to  do  —  " 

"Didn't  you  ask  me  how  things  happened 
down  in  the  canyon?  I  am  just  telling  you  what 
came  into  my  mind.  I  was  sitting  there  in  Heaven 
when  of  a  sudden  I  felt  as  if  a  yard  or  two 
of  ninety-pound  steel  rail  was  laid  on  my  head  and 
I  went  to  sleep.  I  seemed  to  sleep  for  a  long  time 
and  woke  to  see  a  smile  come  to  the  face  of  a  very 
solemn  Scotch  nurse,  who  believes  it  a  sin  to 
smile." 

"And  you  saw  and  heard  no  one  before  you 
were  struck?" 

"No,  there  was  nothing  except  the  deathly 
stillness  that  is  in  the  canyon  all  the  time  when 
there  is  not  a  passing  train.  But,  Betty,  how 
was  I  found,  how  long  did  I  stay  there?" 

Betty  told  him  all  that  had  happened  and 
dwelt  especially  upon  her  suspicion  of  Whaley. 

"Yes,"  he  cut  in  impatiently,  "but  just  now 
I  want  to  talk  of  something  else.  I  was  told 
I  must  not  get  excited  or  allow  my  mind  to 
dwell  on  unpleasant  things,  but  when  I  raise  the 


204  AMERICAN  PEP 

most  pleasant  subject  I  know  of  you  say  I  must 
not." 

"But  you  must  rest  and  recover  first  and  then 
there  will  be  time  enough  to  — : 

"But  you  sidestep  my  question  and  do  not 
even  say  that  you  are  glad  I  was  thinking  of 
you  when  I  was  —  " 

"You  know  I  am  glad,  Jack,  but  that  must  be 
all  —  now  —  You  have  vindicated  yourself.  Mr. 
Malcom  saw  that  car  pass.  He  knows  the  risk 
you  took  in  getting  it  down  that  mountain  grade. 
That  means  that  the  Government,  as  well  as  the 
railroad,  knows  that  you  have  done  enough,  all 
you  could,,  and  I  want  you  to  know  also  that  I 
feel  very  proud  of  you.  But  my  work  is  not 
done.  I  have  not  been  injured  and  have  done  little 
to  help.  Let  us  consider  how  I  can  do  more.  Don't 
you  think  I  want  to  serve  my  country,  too?" 

"Betty,  you  are  talking  wildly!  I  suppose 
staying  at  that  station  and  doing  the  work  of 
two  men  for  over  a  week  don't  count  for  any- 
thing?" 

"That  was  no  more  than  thousands  are  doing 
when  the  nation,  the  world,  calls  for  the  best  there 
is  in  every  one." 

"And,  Betty,  do  you  realize  what  your  influence 


AMERICAN  PEP  205 

accomplished  that  morning  when  we  arrived  in 
Hampton  Roads  and  the  car  was  found  empty, 
when  I  like  a  big  boob  went  to  pieces,  sat  down 
and  cried  like  a  girl  —  " 

"I  don't  believe  you  cried,"  she  resented. 

"It  was  nearly  as  bad.  I  gave  up.  I  saw  the 
whole  world  against  me.  I  began  to  pity  myself. 
But  Lieutenant  Pettingill  about  carried  me  back 
to  the  ship  and  brought  me  to  myself.  As  they 
did  not  have  a  wireless  operator  at  that  time  I 
volunteered  to  act  in  that  capacity,  to  report  my 
own  sentence  to  Washington.  The  moment  I 
touched  the  instrument,  you,  five  hundred  miles 
away,  came  instantly.  You  gave  me  new  back- 
bone. Is  that  nothing,  Betty?  Isn't  it  some- 
thing to  know  that  I  would  have  gone  into  the 
discard  if  it  hadn't  been  for  my  thoughts  of 
you  and  your  constant  watchfulness?" 

"It's  nice  of  you  to  say  that,  Jack,  but  I 
don't  think  you  would  have  gone  to  pieces,  and 
I  don't  want  you  to  feel  that  way.  Also  duty 
beckons  me,  and  you  should  not  try  to  discourage. 
That  car  has  to  be  found,  and  I  am  going  to  find 
it."  She  sat  in  her  chair  with  an  alertness  and 
tension  suggestive  of  a  lioness  when  her  young 
is  menaced. 


206  AMERICAN  PEP 

"My  stay  here  is  going  to  be  very  short, 
though,"  he  insisted.  "I  know  that  I  am  almost 
as  good  as  new  now." 

"But  are  you  going  to  ignore  the  advice  of  the 
doctor  and  everybody  and  —  me?" 

"If  I  stayed  here  in  this  temple  of  ailment  a 
day  or  two  longer  I  think  I  would  go  insane. 
I  must  get  busy  at  something.  Idleness,  instead 
of  activity,  will  kill  me." 

"All  right,  then.  Get  at  something  easy  for  a 
while.  There  has  flashed  all  over  the  circuit  an 
appeal  for  volunteer  wireless  operators  on  ships. 
A  trip  or  two  at  sea  will  help  you  regain  strength 
and  keep  you  busy." 

"But  I  want  to  fight  those  snakes  here." 

"I  tell  you  such  a  course  is  unwise  and  futile. 
They  will  not  stay  here*  You  should  know  that. 
You  will  do  well  to  get  consent  to  go  to  sea  as 
a  wireless  operator." 

"Whose  consent?"  he  grinned  as  he  suddenly 
realized  they  were  again  growing  too  serious. 

"Why  —  the  doctor's  —  and  my  consent,"  she 
added.  She  looked  him  full  in  the  face  with  an 
appeal  he  could  not  resist,  for  it  held  more  than 
a  mere  request.  "When  I  reach  the  station 
may  I  wireless  your  enlistment?" 


AMERICAN  PEP  207 

"If  I  do  — what  then?" 

"I  have  not  finished  my  plans,  but  I  am  going 
to  be  busy,  and  there  is  something  more  I  want 
you  to  tell  me.  What  led  you  to  believe  that  car 
which  left  the  siding  as  an  empty  had  anything  to 
do  with  the  load  of  missing  explosives?" 

"I'm  afraid  an  answer  will  put  severe  strain 
on  those  twelve  stitches,"  he  mused.  "I  began 
first  to  think  of  that  supposedly  empty  car  when 
I  saw  some  chalk  marks  on  the  trucks  of  the  car 
we  had  so  carefully  guarded.  Something  about 
those  numbers  brought  to  mind  that  photograph 
of  the  string  of  cars  stored  there,  you  remember. 
Again,  when  we  found  that  film  I  decided  to 
follow  up  the  movements  of  the  entire  string 
of  cars.  I  had  no  real  proof  that  this  special  car 
was  involved  until  I  found  that  Malvoney  also 
was  interested  in  it.  Then  I  decided  to  have  it 
at  any  cost,  and  reason  out  motives  afterward. 
But  how  the  boxes  were  moved  from  one  car  to 
another  I  still  have  not  the  slightest  notion. 
That  would  be  a  feat  possible  only  to  the  super- 
natural devices  of  hell.  Yet  if  I  had  been  given 
more  tune  before  they  knocked  me  out,  I  believe 
I  could  have  solved  even  that  mystery." 

"I  suppose,"  she  asked,  "that  the  second  dis- 


208  AMERICAN  PEP 

appearance  of  the  car  was  worked  in  the  same 
way?" 

"No,  not  necessarily.  That  was  a  far  simpler 
matter.  Probably  Whaley  heard  me  call  you 
from  the  junction.  Malcom  gave  him  the  order 
to  guard  the  car  when  it  arrived.  He  purposely 
misdirected  the  men,  sending  them  to  the  wrong 
siding.  In  the  meantime  Malvoney  or  his  hench- 
men had  plenty  of  time  to  prepare  to  knock  me 
out  and  spirit  the  car  away.  Yet,  we  must 
realize,  Betty,  that  a  thing  of  this  kind  could  not 
be  accomplished  without  the  help  of  some  one  in 
the  train  service.  There  are  copperheads  there 
like  Larson."  He  had  started  to  pace  the  floor 
in  tense  excitement  and  Betty  realized  the  bad 
effect  that  this  renewed  battle  must  have  upon 
his  already  strained  endurance. 

"Come,"  she  warned,  "let's  not  get  serious 
again.  Dismiss  everything  from  your  mind  just 
now  but  getting  well." 

"  That  sounds  easy,"  he  grimaced.  "  But  how'll 
I  manage  it?" 

"You  are  going  to  pay  close  attention  to  those 
twelve  stitches,"  she  said  gently,  "until  you  are 
ready  to  go  on  a  ship  as  operator.  And  now 
I  must  go  back  to  the  station.  In  the  meantime," 


AMERICAN  PEP  209 

she  smiled,  "you  know  from  whom  you  are 
taking  orders." 

A  lump  rose  in  Betty's  throat  as  she  turned  to 
go  for  she  felt  that  this  might  be  a  final  parting. 
But  she  did  not  wish  to  leave  that  impression 
with  him. 

As  she  passed  the  works  on  the  way  to  the 
station  Whaley  came  quickly  from  the  office 
and  joined  her. 

"You  know  I  promised  to  tell  you  about  that 
job  this  morning?"  he  blurted  out. 

"Yes,"  she  answered.  Her  heart  commenced 
to  pound  once  more. 

"Well,  it's  yours  if  you  want  it.  Only  you've 
got  to  be  quick." 

"What  is  it  and  where?" 

"As  I  told  you  it's  in  your  line.  They  want 
some  one  who  can  work  both  the  telegraph  and 
wireless.  The  money's  good.  It  is  hard  to  get 
wireless  operators  now,  the  army  and  navy 
gobble  them  up  every  one." 

"Where  is  it?"  she  asked,  but  she  already  had 
decided  that  she  knew. 

"I'm  not  sure  about  that.  It's  a  long  way 
south,  I  think,  but  if  you  will  go  I  will  get  you 


210  AMERICAN  PEP 

either  the  money  or  a  ticket,  but  you  must  leave 
right  away." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  right  away?" 

"On  the  next  train." 

"Do  you  know  which  way  it  is,  Whaley?  I 
must  know  that  before  I  can  decide.  This  is 
very  short  notice." 

"You've  got  to  go  east  first,  then  to  Washing- 
ton. That's  all  I  know  now,  and  when  you  get 
there  you  will  be  told." 

"The  next  train  passes  here  about  eight- 
thirty  tonight.  It's  a  through  train  and  carries 
cars  for  Washington.  Perhaps  I  can  get  that  one." 

"This  concern  wants  operators  very  bad,  and 
it's  a  fine  paying  job.  If  you  possibly  can,  you 
better  get  that  train.  I  will  have  the  money  or 
ticket  by  that  time.  It's  a  friend  of  mine  who 
wants  this  help,  and  I  am  making  the  deal  for 
him.  Say  you  surely  will  be  there  and  I  will  meet 
you  at  the  train  and  give  you  the  ticket  money. 
I  have  told  them  if  you  agreed  to  do  it  you  would 
carry  it  through." 

"All  right,  Whaley,  unless  something  turns 
up  to  prevent  I  will  be  ready  to  go,"  she  promised 
as  they  came  to  the  road  leading  directly  to  the 
station. 


AMERICAN  PEP  211 

"Very  well,  that's  settled.  But  can't  you 
manage  to  keep  the  code  or  cipher  you  use  to 
Washington?"  he  asked  in  a  lower  tone. 

"I'll  see.  You  mean  the  Government  code! 
I  think  I  can,"  she  replied,  inwardly  exultant. 
She  was  sure  now  that  her  ruse  had  worked  and 
that  Whaley  was  acting  as  Malvoney's  tool. 

She  walked  briskly  to  the  station  and  imme- 
diately flashed  in  Dorn's  enlistment  by  wireless. 
She  secured  the  code  book  and  carefully  tucked  it 
into  her  blouse.  During  the  rest  of  the  morning 
she  put  her  desk  in  order,  preparing  for  her 
successor.  By  early  afternoon  the  new  operator 
arrived. 

Betty  remained  with  him  a  few  hours,  then 
telephoned  Mr.  Malcom  that  she  would  be  ready 
to  take  the  evening  train.  He  promised  to  have 
Mr.  Broadhurst,  his  special  messenger,  accom- 
pany her.  She  told  him  as  much  as  she  could  of 
Whaley's  plans,  speaking  in  cautious  terms  which 
onlv  Malcom  could  understand. 

Sne  ate  a  hurried  meal  and  settled  her  affairs 
at  home,  purposely  avoiding  a  harrowing  goodbye 
scene  with  Dorn.  She  did  not  wish  to  have  him 
know  yet  that  she  was  working  with  Whaley. 
There  would  be  tune  enough  for  that  when  he 


212  AMERICAN  PEP 

was  stronger  and  better  able  to  bear  the  added 
strain  of  anxiety. 

Betty  arrived  at  the  station  a  few  moments 
before  the  train  left.  She  was  relieved  to  see 
Deacon  Broadhurst,  Mr.  Malcom's  trusted  mes- 
senger, waiting  near  the  platform,  but  she  gave 
no  sign  of  recognition  then,  lest  Whaley  should 
suspect  their  joint  errand.  Whaley  met  her,  as 
promised,  with  the  ticket  and  extra  money  for 
full  transportation. 

"Did  you  get  the  code  book?"  he  whispered. 

She  answered  with  a  nod. 

"Don't  be  surprised  to  see  me  there,  too," 
he  confided.  "I  can  get  a  good  thing  down  that 
way.  But  we  mustn't  be  seen  together.  Sit 
tight  and  I'll  find  you  later.  When  you  get  to 
Charleston  go  at  once  to  the  Windsor  Hotel. 
Some  one  you  know  will  meet  you  there." 

As  Betty  went  inside  the  train  she  glanced  at 
her  ticket  and  saw  that  it  was  for  Charleston, 
South  Carolina.  Her  brain  was  a  seething  tur- 
moil of  unformed  plans.  The  game  was  shaping 
to  fit  her  own  hand. 


Chapter  Twenty-one 


/—p" 'HE   NEXT  MORNING  DORN  TOOK 

matters  Into  his  own  hands  and  dressed 

JL       for  the  street.  Against  the  doctor's  orders 

he  left  the  hospital,  promising  to  return  later  for 

an  examination  and  dressing.    He  went  directly 

to  the  station  expecting  to  find  Betty  there. 

"I  don't  think  she  will  be  here  again,"  the  new 
station  agent  told  him.  "She  left  last  night  on 
Number  Twelve,  and  went  in  the  Washington 
sleeper.  I  was  just  wondering  who  was  going 
to  take  charge  of  the  wireless.  It  has  been 
spattering  out  some  kind  of  jargon  ever  since 
I  came." 

Dorn  was  deeply  disappointed  not  to  see  Betty 
before  she  left,  yet  he  was  not  wholly  surprised. 
He  realized  now  that  she  had  been  tactfully 
bidding  him  goodbye  the  morning  before.  He 
unlocked  the  wireless  booth  and  threw  in  the 
switch  that  gave  it  wide  range,  tapping  the  world 
for  its  most  important  information  for  two 


214  AMERICAN  PEP 

thousand  miles  in  any  direction.  Although  a 
bit  wobbly,  action  was  the  tonic  he  needed. 
With  the  first  tap  of  the  instrument  he  felt  a 
new  sense  of  self-confidence. 

He  took  some  commercial  messages  for  Mr. 
Malcom  while  Washington  waited,  and  then  as 
soon  as  they  could  come  in  he  was  astonished 
to  find  himself  writing  a  message  as  follows: 

"Jackson  Dorn,  Malcom  Station: 

As  per  terms  your  enlistment  in  the  Federal 
Wireless  Service,  you  will  report  as  soon  as  possible 
to  the  Commandant  of  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard 
for  sea  duty." 

(Signed) 

Again  Dorn  knew  that  Betty  had  set  the 
wheels  in  motion.  He  prepared  Malcom's  radio 
messages  for  delivery  and  locked  the  wireless 
cabinet,  then  went  to  the  office  of  the  powder 
works. 

Malcom  came  forward  to  greet  him  with  out- 
stretched hand  and  approving  eyes.  "It's  good 
to  see  you  out  again,"  he  declared,  "they  couldn't 
keep  you  down  long." 

Dorn  realized  the  unusual  warmth  in  the  old 
powder  maker's  grasp,  and  his  heart  glowed  in 
response. 


AMERICAN  PEP  215 

"I'm  still  on  the  running  boards,"  he  said. 

"But  nothing  save  the  fact  that  you  are  neces- 
sary in  this  world  brought  you  down  that  grade 
alive,"  said  Malcom. 

"The  most  disturbing  thought,"  remarked 
Dorn,  "was  the  uncertainty  of  what  would  set 
that  explosive  going.  I  can  play  with  a  known 
danger,  but  a  great  monster  force  that  one  may 
set  in  action  unwittingly  gets  on  a  fellow's  nerves." 

"Perhaps  I  should  have  told  you  more  about 
it,"  mused  Malcom.  "I  know  I  can  trust  you." 
He  stood  in  thought  for  a  moment,  then  reached 
into  the  drawer  of  his  private  desk  for  a  paper 
prepared  in  his  own  hand-writing.  He  gave  this 
to  Dorn  and  scanned  him  closely.  "This  is  the 
formula  used  to  explode,"  he  said.  "It  is  fur- 
nished only  to  the  Government,  but  I  give  it  to 
you  to  provide  against  further  distress.  You 
have  earned  my  full  confidence." 

Dorn  studied  the  short  paper  and  warmly 
expressed  his  appreciation. 

"Mr.  Dorn,"  asked  Malcom  lowering  his  voice, 
"do  you  know  how  those  one  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  sixty  cases  of  S.  H.  were  transferred 
to  another  car  while  either  we  or  the  guard  were 
looking?" 


2i6  AMERICAN  PEP 

"If  I  could  have  time  thoroughly  to  look  over 
that  car,"  Dorn  replied,  "I  fully  believe  I  could 
have  solved  that  problem.  But  now  I  am  almost 
as  much  in  the  dark  as  you.  Mr.  Malcom  — 
Dorn  hestitated  uneasily,  "I  am  almost  certain 
that  Whaley  is  at  the  bottom  of  our  troubles. 
I  have  wanted  full  proof  before  accusing  him  to 
you,  but  now  I  feel  you  ought  to  know." 

"Mr.  Dorn,"  regretted  Malcom,  "I  have  made 
it  a  point  to  err  in  the  direction  of  tolerance  and 
leniency  with  my  people,  but  I  am  convinced 
now  that  Whaley  is  bad.  He  has  not  come  to 
work  this  morning.  A  search  of  his  room  indi- 
cates that  he  has  gone  for  good.  There  must 
be  a  black  sheep."  Before  continuing  he  waited 
to  see  if  Dorn  would  speak  of  Miss  Fraser's 
plan  to  work  through  Whaley.  But  evidently 
she  had  not  taken  him  into  her  confidence,  so 
Malcom  said  no  more. 

"Where  are  the  Federal  investigators  and  the 
railroad  detectives  that  I  learn  have  been  plentiful 
here  the  last  day  or  two?"  asked  Dorn. 

Malcom  replied  with  a  shrug.  "They  have 
so  much  to  do  they  can't  attend  to  it.  I  am 
going  to  double  my  private  guards,  both  the 
mounted  and  stationary  men  at  the  mouth  of 


AMERICAN  PEP  217 

the  canyon,  and  also  see  if  I  can  do  something 
more  myself." 

"And,"  cut  in  Dom  grimly,  "I  am  going  to 
do  a  thing  or  two  more  before  I  quit." 

"But  the  first  thing  you  must  do,"  cautioned 
Malcom,  "is  to  get  squarely  on  your  feet,  then 
go  in  and  do  your  duty  as  every  man  should  for 
his  country.  When  that  is  done,  or  this  war  is 
over,  come  to  me.  I  have  a  place  for  you  that 
will  beat  railroading,  even  if  you  became  president 
of  one."  Malcom  rose  with  Dorn  and  gave  him 
a  firm  hand  shake. 

Dorn  then  left  him  to  set  his  house  in  order  to 
leave  the  mountain  town.  The  next  morning 
he  presented  the  wireless  message  from  the  navy 
department  at  the  gate  of  the  Brooklyn  Navy 
Yard,  asking  for  the  commandant. 

"We  want  physically  qualified  men  for  special 
sea  duty,"  said  that  official,  "men  who  can  stand 
almost  any  kind  of  jolt.  You  are  now  disabled." 
He  glanced  at  the  white  bandage  below  Dom's 
soft  hat  and  was  apparently  none  too  well  im- 
pressed with  the  applicant  as  first  class  navy 
material. 

Dorn  remained  quietly  looking  at  the  toe  of 
his  shoe  and  as  the  commandant's  remark  called 


2i 8  AMERICAN  PEP 

for  no  explanation  or  excuse  he  decided  to  sit 
tight. 

"Where  are  your  credentials?"  the  official 
finally  asked,  more  favorably  impressed  by  this 
lack  of  futile  apology. 

"  I  have  none.  It  was  this  message  that  brought 
me  here."  He  held  out  the  wireless  from  Wash- 
ington. 

"This  is  nothing,  Mr.  Dorn,"  said  the  com- 
mandant, but  he  showed  more  interest.  "How 
am  I  to  know  you  are  all  right?" 

"Better  try  me,"  suggested  Dorn. 

"How?" 

"Let  me  go  to  the  wireless  and  prove  myself.  I 
understand  that  my  coming  in  this  way  is  a  little 
irregular  and  that  you  are  justified  in  demanding 
proof." 

"You  have  never  served  in  the  navy?" 

"No." 

"We  will  go  and  see  the  chief  wireless  operator 
and  he  will  no  doubt  give  you  a  test,"  said  the 
commandant. 

Dorn  followed  him  to  an  adjoining  room 
equipped  with  a  single  wireless  instrument. 

"Mr.  Mann,"  explained  the  commandant, 
"this  man  reports  here  as  a  wireless  operator  on 


AMERICAN  PEP  219 

a  wireless  message  from  Washington.  He  has 
suggested  that  we  prove  him." 

"That  is  simple  enough.  Let  him  go  to  the 
instrument  and  help  himself,"  said  the  chief, 
jerking  his  thumb  toward  the  instruments. 

Dorn  glanced  over  the  wiring,  located  the 
switch,  threw  it  in  with  a  firm,  practiced  hand, 
listened  for  a  moment  to  see  if  he  had  a  clear 
air,  and  then  began  calling  the  operator  of  the 
navy  department.  It  is  quite  impossible  for 
one  not  knowing  the  secret  changing  calls  to 
raise  that  office.  The  operator  in  Washington 
immediately  replied,  "ready."  Then  Dorn  sent 
the  following  message: 

(<  Jackson  Dorn  reports  here  from  Malcom's  Wire- 
less Station  without  other  credentials  than  wireless 
instructions  from  you.  He  is  just  out  of  the  hos- 
pital where  he  was  detailed  for  a  short  time, —  result 
of  a  scalp  wound.  If  this  is  so,  please  verify." 

Dorn  wired  without  a  written  copy  and  moved 
away  from  the  instrument. 

"Describe  Dorn,"  came  from  the  instrument. 

"Light,  five  feet  eleven,  slender,  eight  shoe, 
and  twelve  stitches  in  top  of  scalp,  obtained 
under  circumstances  he  claims  was  wirelessed 
to  you  from  Malcom's." 


220  AMERICAN  PEP 

During  the  interval  of  five  minutes  taken  at 
the  Washington  end  to  secure  Dorn's  record, 
another  man,  the  surgeon  in  uniform,  joined  the 
commandant  and  wireless  chief.  They  all  tried 
not  to  show  their  interest  in  this  West  Virginia 
lanky  product.  The  wireless  chief  and  com- 
mandant were  by  this  time  satisfied  that  Dorn 
was  all  right,  and  were  waiting  only  for  a  formal 
endorsement.  Dorn  sat  as  alert  as  a  cat  waiting 
for  a  mouse  and  with  an  exceptionally  keen  ear 
overheard  a  whispered  dialogue  not  intended 
for  him. 

"But  she  has  got  to  sail  as  a  convoy,  it  must 
sail  the  moment  we  get  an  operator,"  reminded 
the  commandant,  "and  I  don't  see  how  they  can 
get  along  with  only  one." 

"But  we  can't  send  a  man  on  board  with 
bandages." 

"  Can't  something  be  substituted  for  bandages 
that  will  not  show,  if  Washington  endorses  — " 

At  this  point  Dorn's  attention  was  riveted  on 
the  instrument  and  he  wrote  the  following  message 
addressed  to  the  commandant.  This,  of  course, 
was  heard  also  by  the  wireless  chief. 

"Dorn  is  available  only  with  his  consent  for 
emergency.  Use  him,  but  release  him  as  soon  as 


AMERICAN  PEP  221 

regular  operators  are  available  for  wireless  service. 
A  commission  will  reach  you  for  him  this  morning 
giving  him  rank  as  lieutenant,  for  bravery  and 
great  service." 

The  wireless  chief  nodded  knowingly  and 
repeated  the  message  to  the  commandant  who 
came  toward  Dorn  with  outstretched  hand  to 
congratulate  him. 

"That  clears  the  atmosphere  completely  as  an 
officer  hi  the  navy  can  go  aboard  with  a  wound 
apparent,  while  an  enlisted  man  cannot,"  the 
commandant  explained. 

Dorn  felt  dazed  with  the  unexpected  honor. 
Commissioned  for  bravery  and  great  service  to 
his  country!  This  seemed  an  unreality  which 
he  could  not  comprehend.  The  words  of  the 
commandant  came  to  him  as  part  of  the  hazy, 
delightful  dream.  Finally  he  commenced  to 
realize  it  was  true.  He  actually  held  the  message 
in  his  hand,  and  the  wireless  chief  had  read  the 
instrument  with  him  and  was  joining  the  others  in 
congratulation.  What  glorious  news  for  Betty 
to  hear.  This  was  his  first  coherent  thought. 
He  realized  that  Mr.  Malcom  must  have  been 
instrumental  in  bringing  this  about.  He  no 
longer  was  to  be  a  half  discredited  man  under  a 


222  .    AMERICAN  PEP 

cloud.  He  had  been  vindicated  by  promotion 
above  the  ranks.  But  this  appreciation  of  his 
past  efforts  only  added  to '  his  resolution  and 
dogged  purpose  to  uncover  completely  the  mystery 
and  to  round  up  the  spy  system  that  made  the 
theft  possible. 

He  stood  near  the  wireless  dazed  with  joy. 
'Then  suddenly  the  instrument  spelled  out  a 
word,  the  signature  to  which  again  took  his  feet 
clear  off  the  earth  into  the  heaven  of  realized 
expectations. 

"Congratulations—  S  —  H— ."  And  by  the 
stroke  of  the  sounder  he  knew  the  message  was 
from  a  very  strong  but  distant  station.  There 
was  only  one  other  person  hi  the  world  who  knew 
what  that  signature  meant,  and  he  would  have 
known  Betty's  touch  among  thousands.  Surely 
she  had  been  able  to  participate  in  his  happiness. 
His  wish  hardly  had  been  formulated  before  he 
realized  it  had  been  granted.  Nothing  else 
mattered  now.  She  was  safe,  was  still  in  the 
service  on  some  special  duty,  and  was  within 
reach  of  that  station. 

"Ah  —  Lieutenant  Dorn,"  solicited  the  com- 
mandant, "one  of  our  latest  super- torpedo  boat 
destroyers  is  ready  to  leave  at  this  moment. 


AMERICAN  PEP  223 

A  loaded  transport  has  been  off  Sandy  Hook 
light  twenty-four  hours  waiting  for  her  as  a 
convoy.  You  are  the  only  wireless  operator  in 
sight  now.  Are  you  willing  to  go  alone?  It  will 
mean  practically  continuous  duty  for  more  than 
a  week. " 

"I  am  ready,"  came  Dorn's  instant  reply.  In 
less  than  a  half  hour  Dorn  stepped  down  from  the 
Navy  Yard  dock  into  a  queerly  painted  vessel 
about  two  hundred  fifty  feet  long.  When  the 
lines  were  slipped  she  moved  out  into  the  stream 
with  the  power  and  precision  of  a  locomotive. 
As  he  stood  aft,  he  noticed  how  the  fantastic 
colors  with  which  she  was  painted  blended  with 
the  water. 

He  wirelessed  the  monster  three  tunnel  transport 
with  its  ten  thousand  men  aboard  they  were 
coming,  and  in  a  half  hour  more  they  picked  her 
up  beyond  Sandy  Hook  with  two  other  scimiter 
shaped  craft.  All  were  soon  absorbed  by  the  sea, 
as  a  dissolving  panorama. 


Chapter  Twenty-two 


ALTHOUGH  BETTY  KNEW  THAT 
Whaley  was  on  board  the  train  and  would 
leave  at  Washington,  she  had  no  difficulty 
hi  evading  him,  as  he  purposely  kept  out  of  her 
way.  It  was  not  likely  that  he  would  wish  to 
approach  her  until  they  reached  South  Carolina. 
If  he  noticed  Broadhurst,  Malcom's  head  acj 
countant,  in  the  car,  he  evidently  had  given  the 
coincidence  no  thought. 

Betty  had  joined  the  old  deacon,  and  had 
talked  with  him  all  the  way  to  Washington.  It 
therefore  seemed  natural  that  when  they  reached 
the  station  they  should  walk  together.  Betty 
glanced  behind  now  and  then  but  if  they  were 
followed  she  could  see  no  evidence  of  the  espionage. 

She  did  not  know  how  much  Malcom  had  told 
Broadhurst  of  their  plan,  and  he  in  turn  kept 
silent.  He  was  also  discreetly  silent.  Car  seats 
may  have  ears.  So  they  talked  merely  of  casual 
things.  They  already  had  arranged,  however, 


AMERICAN  PEP  225 

that  while  Broadhurst  interviewed  the  secretary 
of  war,  Betty  might,  without  rousing  suspicion, 
even  if  followed,  visit  the  senate  then  in  session. 
They  agreed  that  at  least  one  of  their  senators 
would  be  there,  and  hoped  to  work  her  plan 
through  him. 

Broadhurst  helped  her  on  a  car  going  to  the 
Capitol,  gave  her  his  blessing  and  hurried  on  his 
way  to  the  Navy  Building. 

After  an  apparently  interminable  travel  through 
arches,  narrow  stairways  and  sharp  angles,  Betty 
was  finally  announced  to  the  senior  senator  in 
his  private  office  in  the  Capitol.  He  saw  her  at 
once  and  gravely  listened  to  her  story.  She  told 
him  of  her  entire  purpose,  her  suspicions  of 
Whaley  and  Malvoney,  and  her  faith  in  her  own 
ability  to  carry  the  plan  through.  Her  earnest- 
ness and  simplicity  caused  him  to  telephone  at 
once  to  the  War  Department  to  learn  if  Broad- 
hurst had  been  there  with  Malcom's  signed 
papers,  to  verify  Betty's  story. 

After  listening  on  the  wire  a  few  moments  he 
turned  to  her  with  a  smile.  "Mr.  Malcom's 
messenger  has  arrived  there,"  he  said,  "and 
we'll  get  this  thing  put  through  for  you  in  short 
order.  I  like  your  grit.  The  secretary's  first 


226  AMERICAN  PEP 

assistant  is  on  his  way  here  now.  You  couldn't 
have  caught  us  at  a  better  time."  He  motioned 
her  to  a  chair  near  by  and  turned  to  open  his  mail. 

Before  long  a  white  haired  man  was  ushered 
into  the  senator's  private  office.  The  senator 
left  Betty  to  enter  into  a  brief  low-toned  con- 
ference with  his  visitor,  who  then  left.  When  he 
returned  to  her  he  held  some  official  documents 
and  a  small  book. 

"You  may  never  need  to  use  these  credentials. 
Cleverness  seldom  resorts  to  credentials.  How- 
ever, I  have  protected  you  fully.  This  book  is  a 
false  code,  so  arranged  that  a  message  cannot  be 
translated  without  distortion.  It  is  used  "to 
decoy  operators  who  are  being  tested  or  suspi- 
cioned.  This  will  enable  you  without  danger  to 
comply  with  the  request  for  a  code." 

"I  believe  I  understand,"  Betty  stammered. 
"The  genuine  code  I  am  to  destroy  under  general 
instructions  and  produce  this  false  code  for  them." 

"You  have  the  idea,"  the  senator  approved. 
"I  shall  watch  your  progress  in  this  matter  with 
intense  interest.  I  know  you  will  make  good." 
He  opened  the  door  and  stood  aside  deferentially 
as  she  passed.  "And  now,"  he  added,  "you  have 
not  only  what  you  asked  for,  but  all  that  you 


AMERICAN  PEP  227 

intimated,  as  well.  To  farther  protect  you  and 
to  disarm  suspicion  I  will  have  one  of  my  clerks 
show  you  about  the  capital  and  see  that  you 
reach  the  depot  in  time  to  catch  the  train  going 
south." 

Before  Betty  could  realize  how  everything  was 
so  quickly  accomplished  she  was  being  shown  the 
wonders  of  Washington  by  a  respectful  young 
secretary.  She  now  felt  little  sympathy  with 
the  critics  who  intimated  that  Government 
matters  moved  destructively  slow.  Instead  there 
was  snap  and  punch.  She  had  been  in  the 
senator's  office  less  than  fifteen  minutes,  and  she 
had  obtained  everything  Mr.  Malcom  undertook 
to  get  her  by  sending  his  twice  trusted  Broadhurst. 

When  she  returned  to  the  Union  Station  and 
went  down  to  the  train  into  her  Pullman  car,  she 
was  sure  she  saw  Whaley  in  the  smoking  car  as 
she  walked  back.  His  presence  surely  meant 
that  Malvoney  was  not  far  away  and  Betty  felt 
a  grim  sense  of  satisfaction  and  the  pretty  teeth 
came  together  hard. 

Thus  she  entered  into  the  great  adventure  of 
her  life  with  zest  and  courage  high.  Her  fighting 
blood  was  up  and  she  took  keen  interest  in  the 
Virginia  battlefields  through  which  the  train 


228  AMERICAN  PEP 

ran  on  its  way  to  Richmond  and  south.  As  she 
was  carried  onward  her  cheeks  flamed,  her  heart 
beat  hard  with  an  all-consuming  patriotism. 
Well  —  yes;  there  was  a  man:  disabled  just  now. 
Her  active  mind  went  over  her  plan  of  strategy 
from  a  hundred  different  angles,  until  the  next 
morning  tfye  train  entered  the  wonderfully  in- 
teresting city  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina. 

Charleston  easily  could  be  loved  for  its  faults. 
Its  existence  has  been  marked  by  turbulence, 
almost  from  its  commencement. 

When  Betty  arrived  at  the  depot  she  at  once 
took  a  carriage  to  the  Windsor  Hotel  as  directed 
by  Whaley.  She  was  assigned  to  a  room  on  the 
top  floor,  in  a  manner  indicating  that  she  was 
expected. 

After  repairing  the  wear  and  tear  of  two  nights 
on  the  sleeper  she  went  to  breakfast.  In  the 
dining-room  she  found  as  she  had  half  expected, 
the  object  of  her  speculation.  Mr.  Malvoney 
advanced  with  a  good  counterfeit  of  surprise  and 
greeted  her.  He  insisted  that  she  change  her 
seat  to  the  vacant  place  at  his  table  where  he  was 
breaking  his  fast  with  a  liberal  meal. 

"Well,"  he  began,  after  she  was  seated  and 
had  ordered  her  breakfast,  "I  am  more  than 


AMERICAN  PEP  229 

delighted  to  see  that  you  made  the  trip  without 
delay.  I  suppose  you  are  puzzled  to  know  why 
I  am  here  and  why  I  am  interested  in  your  trip." 

"One  must  not  be  surprised  at  anything  these 
days,"  she  hedged.  "But  how  did  you  get  hurt? 
Your  forehead  looks  as  if  you  had  been  in  quite  an 
accident."  She  looked  innocently  at  a  liberal 
flesh  colored  patch  in  the  center  of  his  forehead. 

"Yes,  I  fell  heavily  and  cut  my  head,"  he  ex- 
plained. But  she  noticed  his  hot  flush  and 
recalled  Dorn's  story  of  that  chunk  of  coal.  It 
was  hard  for  her  to  repress  her  smile  of  triumph. 
It  must  have  been  a  square  shot,  she  inwardly 
exulted. 

"Quite  unfortunate,"  she  managed  to  reply 
evenly. 

"I  suppose  Whaley  told  you  I  would  be  here?" 
he  asked. 

"No,  he  did  not,"  she  replied  in  simple  truth, 
"although  I  inferred  as  much." 

"The  wireless  business  is  a  perfect  monopoly," 
he  explained,  "and  very  profitable.  I  have 
undertaken  to  establish  a  competing  system,  and 
we  have  to  proceed  with  great  caution  until  we 
have  advanced  to  a  certain  size,  before  we  come 
out  in  the  open.  Operators  are  scarce  now  on 


230  AMERICAN  PEP 

account  of  our  Government  requiring  so  many. 
That  is  why  we  wanted  you  so  urgently.  But 
remember,"  he  cautioned,  "our  movements  must 
remain  strictly  under  cover  just  now." 

Betty  nodded  understandingly. 

"This  hotel  is  friendly,"  he  went  on,  "and  has 
allowed  us  to  establish  our  station  in  an  unused 
portion  of  the  top  floor.  We  can  hang  our  antennae 
or  receiving  wires  on  the  roof.  You  may  find  it 
rather  warm  up  there  during  the  middle  of  the 
day,  but  it  cools  off  after  the  sun  begins  to  get 
low." 

"How  much  do  your  people  pay?"  she  asked, 
believing  that  it  would  cause  suspicion  if  she 
seemed  to  overlook  that  item. 

"You  need  not  be  afraid  about  the  pay.  It 
will  be  liberal.  Of  course,  at  first  there  will  be 
inconvenience,  and  perhaps  long  hours,  but  you 
will  be  rated  high.  How  much  were  you  getting 
from  the  railroad?" 

"  Sixty-five  dollars." 

"That's  about  fifteen  dollars  a  week.  Your 
wages  with  us  will  be  forty  dollars  a  week  and  all 
hotel  expenses.  But  naturally  we  expect  you  to 
work  for  us,  entirely,  and  to  be  very  discreet 
about  all  information.  There  must  be  no  leaks." 


AMERICAN  PEP  231 

"The  railroad  drills  we  get  instill  caution  into 
us  from  the  start." 

"You  may  be  surprised  to  know  that  Whaley 
is  here  also,"  he  informed.  "I  was  able  to  get 
him  a  position  here,  too." 

"That  was  splendid  of  you,"  she  said. 

He  rose  and  pushed  back  his  chair.  Betty 
followed  him  to  an  elevator  of  ancient  pattern 
and  they  were  laboriously  lifted  to  the  loft  of  the 
old  hotel.  He  led  the  way  to  the  wireless  room, 
a  small  space  with  bare,  rough  walls,  lighted  only 
by  two  small  paned  windows.  The  room  had 
been  provided  with  two  chairs  and  electric  fan 
and  a  liberal  supply  of  ice-water.  The  instru- 
ments were  arranged  between  the  two  windows 
and  Betty  was  glad  to  note  that  when  sitting  at 
the  table  she  could  look  out  upon  the  harbor. 

"This  room  has  been  hastily  prepared  for  us," 
he  said,  "and  of  course  lacks  even  ordinary  com- 
forts, but  quite  likely  we  will  need  you  elsewhere 
before  long."  He  scanned  her  closely  for  some 
hint  of  disapproval,  but  she  merely  nodded  her 
head.  "This  instrument  is  very  powerful,"  he 
went  on.  "It  has  as  much  radius  as  any  of  the 
Government  stations,  or  about  two  thousand 
miles.  It  will  deliver  a  great  many  messages  not 


232  AMERICAN  PEP 

intended  for  you,  but  we  think  it  wise  to  copy  all 
of  them  you  can,  as  we  want  to  convince  the 
authorities  that  we  have  the  equipment  to  do 
extensive  and  thorough  work,  and  while  not 
licensed  by  them  now,  we  expect  to  be  very  soon." 

Betty  accepted  his  crude  explanation  in  silence, 
wondering  that  he  really  could  believe  her  so 
simple.  She  knew  the  punishment  attached  to 
running  an  illicit  station,  and  was  glad  of  the 
protecting  credentials.  Otherwise  she  realized 
she  would  be  considered  as  guilty  as  he,  the 
moment  she  commenced  work  on  the  instrument. 
Doubtless  he  meant  to  hold  this  as  a  weapon  over 
her  head. 

"I  shall  be  busy  elsewhere,"  he  informed  as  he 
left  her,  "and  may  not  see  you  until  the  end  of 
the  day.  If  anything  comes  up  that  you  do  not 
understand  just  use  your  judgment  and  do  the 
best  you  can  the  first  day." 

When  he  had  gone,  she  threw  in  the  switch. 
She  felt  an  indescribable  relief  to  be  in  touch  with 
the  great  world  again.  It  was  a  short  time  after 
that  she  heard  the  message  from  Washington  to 
the  Brooklyn  station  telling  of  Dorn's  commission. 
Knowing  full  well  her  position  could  not  be 
defined,  she  broke  in  with  congratulations. 


Chapter  Twenty-three 


BETTY  COULD  ONLY  HOPE  THAT 
Dorn  would  be  within  hearing  of  the 
instrument  when  she  broke  in  and  offered 
congratulations.  Her  delight  at  this  news  that 
he  was  able  to  be  there,  of  his  commission,  crowded 
out  all  other  thoughts.  Mr.  Malcom  undoubtedly 
had  opened  the  way  and  perhaps  her  talk  with 
the  senator  had  helped  some,  too.  She  hoped  so, 
for  she  had  dwelt  strongly  upon  Dorn's  brave 
sacrifice  to  restore  the  explosive  so  much  needed 
on  the  battle  field  then. 

She  forced  herself  to  put  Dorn  from  her  mind 
and  soon  was  busy  getting  all  the  messages  that 
went  through  the  air.  Most  of  them  were  in 
cipher.  She  soon  found  use  for  the  chart  hanging 
in  front  of  her  showing  the  latitude  and  longitude 
of  land  and  sea  as  far  as  the  coasts  of  Europe. 

When  Malvoney  returned  late  in  the  afternoon 
she  had  a  goodly  amount  for  him  to  look  over. 
He  carefully  separated  those  going  to,  or  coming 


234  AMERICAN  PEP 

from,  Washington  and  gave  these  his  first  atten- 
tion. 

"You  have  a  code  book?"  he  asked  carelessly, 
pulling  his  chair  up  to  the  end  of  the  instrument 
table. 

"Yes,  do  you  want  to  see  it?"  she  answered 
readily. 

"There  are  a  lot  of  code  messages  here  which 
may  have  a  bearing  on  our  business,"  he  ex- 
plained, "and  I  would  like  to  decipher  them." 

She  reached  into  the  table  drawer  for  the  little 
book  that  the  senator  had  given  her  to  meet  just 
such  an  emergency.  She  wondered  with  some 
amusement  how  the  deciphering  from  it  would 
read.  She  watched  Malvoney  covertly  as  he 
struggled  to  interpret  the  messages  she  had 
intercepted. 

Of  a  sudden  as  though  violently  stung  he 
jumped  from  his  seat.  With  a  black  scowl  of 
angry  excitement  he  paced  the  floor.  "Damn 
the  luck!"  he  fairly  hissed  from  between  set  jaws. 

"What's  the  matter?"  Betty  asked  quietly. 

"Latitude  27,  longitude  79,"  he  ripped  out  and 
leaned  forward  almost  against  her  to  verify  the 
location  on  the  chart  that  hung  in  front  of  her. 
"That  means  off  the  east  coast  of  Florida,  above 


AMERICAN  PEP  235 

Bahama  Islands."  He  seemed  to  have  forgotten 
her  presence,  and  she  watched  him  breathlessly 
as  he  took  a  small  book  from  his  pocket,  evidently 
his  secret  code,  located  a  page,  and  studied  it. 

"Call  M-E-R-B-,"  he  ordered  sharply,  "and 
keep  at  it  until  you  raise  them." 

She  began  calling  and  he  continued  to  pace  the 
floor.  She  had  called  only  a  few  moments  when 
the  response  came  clear  and  positive.  He  stopped 
behind  her  indicating  that  he  could  read  the 
instrument. 

"Strike  while  the  iron  is  hot,"  he  dictated  as 
code  proof.  She  sent  the  signal  as  directed. 

"The  weld  is  good,"  came  in  reply  and  then 
followed  a  long  message  in  cipher.  He  deciphered 
this  almost  as  fast  as  it  came  by  reference  to  his 
own  book.  Two  words,  "Black  Vomit"  made  a 
distinct  impression  upon  Betty.  This  term  she 
associated  at  once  with  misfortune  and  illness  and 
concluded  these  were  the  probable  cause  of 
Malvoney's  great  perturbation. 

"Tell  them  that  BLACKSMITH  will  call  them 
in  an  hour,"  he  ordered.  As  she  proceeded  to  do 
this  he  sat  at  the  end  of  the  short  instrument 
table  and  began  to  decipher  the  message  more 
carefully.  He  wrote  it  out  in  full  on  a  pad  of 


236  AMERICAN  PEP 

soft  print  paper  and  studied  the  message  thought- 
fully for  some  moments.  Then  he  resumed  his 
pacing  of  the  floor.  At  last  he  came  to  her  with 
regained  composure. 

"  I  will  go  down  to  my  room  to  clean  up  a  little," 
he  said,  "and  will  be  back  in  an  hour  to  prepare  a 
reply  to  this  fellow.  I  think  I  can  give  him  some 
information  to  help  him."  He  tore  his  transcript 
of  the  message  into  fine  bits  and  tossed  them  from 
the  window  before  leaving  the  room. 

Betty  now  realized  that  Malvoney  could  read 
the  instrument,  but  for  some  reason  could  not 
send.  She  wondered  why.  She  also  remembered 
that  when  he  was  writing  out  his  transcription  he 
had  labored  hard,  using  a  short  pointed  pencil 
upon  which  he  appeared  to  bear  much  weight. 
She  took  up  the  pad  he  had  been  using  and  found 
as  she  had  half  hoped  a  good  impression  of  his 
penciled  words  on  the  blank  surface.  She  was 
able  to  trace  in  the  grooves  with  a  sharp  pointed 
pencil.  In  a  few  moments  she  had  before  her  a 
copy  of  the  message  he  had  so  carefully  destroyed. 
A  second  reading  intensified  her  interest  as  it 
opened  a  new  door  into  information  that  might 
be  of  vital  interest  to  Washington.  It  read  as 
follows: 


AMERICAN  PEP  237 

"The  Weld  is  Good." 

"  Five  days  out  of  Vera  Cruz  wireless  operator 
dropped  dead  at  instrument  with  Black  Vomit,  very 
contagious.  Remaining  operator  may  go  any  time. 
Must  have  at  hand  at  least  one  operator  when  off 
your  station.  Cargo  riding  well  and  plenty  fuel  for 
destination.  Am  about  four  hundred  miles  away 
and  will  be  abreast  you  tomorrow  night  at  sundown. 
Keep  in  touch  for  information  of  remaining  opera- 
tors. We  cannot  possibly  proceed  without  operator. 

(Signed)  MERE." 

Betty  tore  off  the  message  as  she  had  traced  it 
out,  and  placed  it  in  her  blouse.  She  wondered 
what  the  term  Black  Vomit  meant.  She  knew 
that  August  was  the  worst  month  for  disease  and 
of  course  the  Gulf  ports  would  be  teeming  with 
fevers  of  most  deadly  type.  Conditions  there 
were  unsanitary.  She  must  know  just  what 
Black  Vomit  was  as  soon  as  possible. 

Malvoney  now  entered  with  a  long  message  in 
cipher. 

"Raise  M-E-R-B-  again,"  he  directed.  "Prove 
yourself  by  the  words,  'strike  while  the  iron  is 
hot.'  Give  him  this  message,  then  you  had 
better  go  down  to  your  dinner.  I  have  to  go  out 
for  a  while  but  shall  be  back  in  time  to  see  you 
before  you  leave  for  the  night." 


238  AMERICAN  PEP 

She  obeyed  without  comment  and  received 
from  M-E-R-B-  "All  well  on  board  yet."  Betty 
carefully  locked  the  wireless  room  with  the  key 
Malvoney  had  given  her  and  went  to  her  room 
to  prepare  for  dinner.  As  she  sat  in  the  almost 
deserted  dining  room  her  mind  was  busy  with 
the  problem  of  the  last  messages. 

Evidently  a  ship  of  some  sort  had  started  for 
Vera  Cruz  with  valuable  freight  for  Germany. 
One  of  the  wireless  operators  had  died  from 
disease  contracted  before  leaving  that  port,  and 
as  the  disease  was  contagious  they  were  afraid  the 
remaining  operator  might  die,  thus  leaving  them 
without  eyes  and  even  though  armed  an  easy 
prey  to  Allied  ships.  She  wondered  if  the  priceless 
freight  of  the  stolen  car  were  on  board  that  ship. 
But  what  was  this  Black  Vomit?  Perhaps  the 
old  black  waiter  would  know.  Quietly  she  called 
to  him  and  he  stood  above  her  table  in  respectful 
attention. 

"Is  this  a  healthy  place?"  she  asked  with  an 
encouraging  smile. 

"Oh,  yes  indeed,  Miss.  No  sickness  round 
here  like  there  used  to  be." 

"Did  they  ever  have  Black  Vomit  here?" 


AMERICAN  PEP  239 

"Oh,  yes,  Miss,  a  long  time  ago  we  had  Yellow 
Fever  here,  but  everything  is  all  right  now." 

"Then  Yellow  Fever  and  Black  Vomit  are  the 
same?  " 

"Oh,  yes,  Miss,  just  the  same,  but  it's  a  long 
time  since  it  was  here."  And  by  more  simple 
words  and  low  bows  he  tried  hard  to  convince 
her  that  she  should  be  easy  on  that  score. 

She  finished  her  dinner  quickly  and  went  at 
once  to  the  creaking  elevator.  She  was  surprised 
to  find  Whaley  in  the  hall,  evidently  waiting  for 
her.  They  went  together  into  the  ladies'  parlor 
on  the  second  floor  front. 

"I  see  you  are  on  the  job,"  he  grinned.  .She 
saw  that  he  had  been  drinking  heavily. 

"Yes,  Whaley,  I've  just  got  settled.  Where 
have  you  been  all  this  tune?" 

"I've  been  busy  outside.  How  do  you  like 
the  old  man?" 

"I  think  Mr.  Malvoney  will  be  all  right  when  I 
get  used  to  him." 

"Yes,  you'll  like  him,  but  of  course  while  he  is 
a  good  man  to  work  for,  he  isn't  exactly  one  of  us. 
We  should  stand  together,  shouldn't  we?" 

"Yes,  Whaley,"  she  gently  encouraged  his 
confidence.  "But  you  mustn't  drink  too  much." 


240  AMERICAN  PEP 

"I  don't  drink  much,  Betty,"  with  undue 
familiarity. 

"But  you've  been  drinking  this  evening.  And 
starting  out  with  a  new  man  and  a  new  job  you 
should  be  careful."  She  was  placing  working 
foundations  for  new  confidences.  "What  have 
you  been  doing  all  day?"  she  prodded. 

"I've  been  trying  to  get  some  work  done  by 
these  lazy  natives.  Of  course,  Betty,"  he  shifted, 
"you  know  I  always  thought  a  lot  of  you, 
though  I  never  had  a  chance  to  tell  you  back 
there."  He  hitched  a  little  closer  but  she  checked 
him. 

"Let's  not  talk  of  that  now.  Tell  me  what 
you've  been  doing.  That  will  be  more  in- 
teresting." 

"Ah1  right,  some  other  time  you'll  let  me  tell 
you?" 

"Yes,  Whaley.  Now,  what  have  you  been 
doing  all  day?"  she  repeated  persistently. 

"I've  been  carrying  some  boxes  to  a  boat." 

"What  kind  of  boxes?" 

"Have  you  promised  to  be  pals?"  he  hesitated. 

Betty's  smile  was  wholly  encouraging. 

"I  don't  mind  telling  you,"  he  leered  in  his 
drunken  glee.  "You  see  Malvoney  is  a  very 


AMERICAN  PEP  241 

smart  fellow  and  has  everybody  I  ever  saw  backed 
off  the  board.  And  money —  He's  got  more 
money  than  he  can  carry,  and  he  makes  monkeys 
out  of  the  best  of  them.  You  know  that  car  of 
S.  H.  that  made  such  a  row  in  Malcom?" 

Betty  nodded,  her  heart  leaping  into  her 
throat. 

"Well,  he  made  monkeys  out  of  the  Govern- 
ment, the  railroad  and  old  Malcom,  too.  He 
played  them  for  suckers,  and  when  that  fool 
Dorn  brought  the  car  back  and  got  his,  the  play 
was  just  begun.  Do  you  know  that,  Betty?" 

Betty  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  was  afraid 
to  look  at  hun  for  fear  of  divulging  her  feverish 
interest.  She  gazed  across  the  street  and  was 
agitated  by  a  glimpse  of  Malvoney  as  he  entered 
a  cigar  store  opposite  the  hotel.  She  felt  he  would 
return  immediately  and  she  did  not  want  him  to 
know  that  she  had  questioned  Whaley. 

"Yes,  go  on."  she  breathed. 

"Well,"  hesitated  Whaley,  "it's  great  what  a 
roll  of  twenties  and  one  or  two  real  friends  on  the 
inside  will  do.  Every  box  of  that  stuff  came  in 
here  this  morning  by  express.  Every  case  is 
sewed  up  in  burlap.  I've  had  a  lot  of  niggers 
carrying  it  across  to  a  boat.  We're  going  to  load 


242  AMERICAN  PEP 

it  on  a  sub,  sure's  your  alive."  Whaley  began  to 
laugh  uproariously. 

"That  was  a  clever  piece  of  work,  Whaley," 
she  encouraged. 

"  Clever?  Why  I  tell  you  the  old  man  is  a  wizard. 
There  he  is  across  the  street  now.  Do  you  know 
who  that  man  is  he  is  talking  to?  That's  one  of 
the  biggest  wholesalemen  in  the  place,  and  he 
owns  the  boat  we've  been  loading.  I  tell  you, 
Betty,  there's  big  things  going  on  and  you  and  I 
will  have  part  in  them.  We're  in  right  now.  He 
gave  you  a  big  raise,  didn't  he?  He  did  me, 
too.  But  he's  coming  and  I  must  go  down. 
Don't  tell  him  we  was  talking,  will  you?"  He 
managed  to  get  his  heavy  feet  down  the  flight  of 
stairs.  Betty  did  not  wait  for  the  elevator,  but 
flew  up  the  stairs  and  darted  into  the  wireless 
room. 


Chapter   Twenty-four 


BETTY'S  FIRST  IMPULSE  WAS  TO 
flash  out  her  important  news  to  Washing- 
ton, and  if  possible,  to  Dorn.  She  was 
tingling  with  an  almost  unbearable  excitement. 
But  she  knew  she  must  act  with  caution,  so  she 
checked  her  impulsive  fingers. 

The  lost  explosive  that  Dorn  had  risked  more 
than  a  dozen  deaths  for,  that  governments  wanted 
so  much  that  money  terms  ceased  to  apply,  that 
she  had  bequeathed  her  own  life  to  recover,  was 
at  that  moment  in  Charleston  sewed  up  in  burlap, 
to  be  loaded  on  some  kind  of  vessel,  likely  the  one 
for  which  an  operator  must  be  found.  This 
much  she  knew. 

She  heard  Malvoney  mounting  the  stairs  and 
tried  to  conceal  her  excitement.  But  in  spite  of 
herself  she  still  appeared  white  and  shaken. 

"You  seem  upset  about  something,"  he  com- 
mented darkly.  "Were  you  able  to  reach  that 
boatM-E-R-B-?" 


244  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Yes,  I  was  able  to  raise  them  at  once,  then 
went  to  dinner.  They  reported  all  well  on 
board." 

"Do  you  know,"  he  snapped,  "I  believe  I 
have  made  a  mistake  in  bringing  that  drunken 
Whaley  here.  I  just  met  him  in  the  office  pretty 
well  tanked  and  just  at  a  time  when  I  should  be 
able  to  depend  upon  him." 

"You  have  had  much  experience  with  men," 
she  flattered,  "it  may  be  that  you  have  made  no 
mistake.  Perhaps  he  will  quit  drinking." 

"It  can't  be  done.  When  a  man  has  that  in 
his  system,  he  never  gets  rid  of  it  till  he  shuts  off 
his  breath.  Now,  I  am  uncertain  just  what 
arrangement  to  make  for  the  night.  Of  course 
if  we  had  another  operator  it  would  be  easy. 
There  is  hell  to  pay,  but  I  can't  ask  you  to  stay 
too  long  or  you  won't  be  fit  for  tomorrow  - 

"There  will  be  little  to  do,"  she  broke  in,  "and 
likely  I  can  get  some  sleep.  I  don't  mind  stay- 
ing." She  was  visioning  the  possibility  of  raising 
Washington. 

"No,  that  won't  do,"  he  objected,  "it  is  after 
seven  now.  Suppose  you  stay  until  ten,  then  I 
will  try  and  make  out  from  that  time  on.  They 
have  fixed  a  room  for  me  right  next  here."  He 


AMERICAN  PEP  245 

jerked  his  thumb  toward  the  adjoining  wall. 
"I  can  hear  the  instruments  from  there.  I  can 
read  them  all  right.  I  hurt  my  right  hand  not 
long  ago  and  it  is  yet  so  stiff  I  cannot  send.  I 
have  not  learned  to  operate  with  my  left.  I 
suppose  if  it  becomes  a  matter  of  emergency  you 
wouldn't  mind  coming  up  to  take  a  message, 
would  you?  " 

"I'll  come  if  you  need  me,"  she  replied  and  he 
went  into  his  own  apartment.  She  could  hear 
him  distinctly  moving  about  in  his  room.  Any 
hope  she  had  of  using  the  wireless  sank.  As  the 
sound  of  the  sending  key  could  plainly  be  heard 
hi  the  neit  room,  she  could  not  take  such  a 
chance. 

But  just  as  she  had  given  up  hope  she  heard 
Malvoney  leave  his  room  and  go  down  the  un- 
carpeted  stairs.  At  that  instant  she  also  heard  a 
call  clear  and  distinct  coming  from  a  powerful 
instrument.  There  was  something  familiar  about 
that  call.  She  felt  as  if  some  one  had  taken  her 
by  the  hand.  She  had  that  sense,  well  known  by 
every  operator,  so  delicate  that  she  could  recognize 
every  principal  operator  on  the  line  by  his  touch. 
This  call,  and  the  message  that  followed,  came  to 
her  as  familiarly  as  if  Dorn,  himself,  had  spoken. 


246  AMERICAN  PEP 

She  could  visualize  him  bound  east  on  a  convoy. 
Although  she  was  sure  Malvoney  had  left  the 
next  room  she  felt  unsafe  as  he  might  return  and 
hear  any  answering  call.  The  stakes  were  too 
high  and  she  would  gain  more  by  waiting.  But 
she  now  felt  certain  that  Dorn  was  within 
reach.  From  memory  of  the  code  she  deci- 
phered the  longitude  and  latitude.  She  examined 
the  chart  before  her.  Evidently  he  was  about 
three  hundred  miles  from  New  York,  out  of  the 
ordinary  course  for  vessels,  probably  headed  for 
the  Azores. 

In  a  few  minutes  her  delicate  ear  detected 
sounds  in  Malvoney's  room,  and  she  knew  she 
had  done  well  to  wait.  At  ten  o'clock,  as  in- 
structed, she  locked  the  door  and  went  to  her 
room  on  the  floor  below.  She  was  afraid  to 
telegraph  or  to  telephone,  and  to  write  would  be 
too  slow.  She  realized  that  when  Malvoney  had 
selected  that  particular  hotel  in  Charleston,  he 
knew  what  he  was  doing.  He  was  among  friends 
or  paid  tools.  She  would  have  to  curb  her  excite- 
ment until  morning. 

Before  she  went  to  sleep  that  night  she  memor- 
ized the  code  words  translated  by  Malvoney  hi 
the  message  received  from  M-E-R-B-.. 


AMERICAN  PEP  247 

At  seven-thirty  the  next  morning,  she  en- 
countered Malvoney  coming  from  the  dining 
room. 

"Anything  new,  Miss  Fraser?"  he  asked. 

"I  left  copies  on  the  desk  of  everything  that 
came  before  I  left  at  ten."  As  he  passed  her  she 
noticed  that  he  evidently  had  bolstered  himself 
with  liquor. 

"Did  you  see  Whaley  during  the  evening? 
That  dog  was  drunk,"  he  snarled.  "And  I 
could  not  find  him.  He  will  ruin  us  if  I  don't 
muzzle  him." 

"I  think  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  him  in  the  office 
as  I  came  from  the  elevator  just  now,"  she 
informed. 

"All  right,  I'll  try  and  catch  him.  I  am  going 
away  for  a  couple  of  hours  but  will  get  back  by 
ten.  Raise  M-E-R-B-  as  soon  as  you  can  and 
tell  them  we  must  keep  in  touch  all  day.  Unless 
something  important  shows  up  do  nothing  else 
but  follow  them."  She  watched  him  go  toward 
the  office,  then  hastily  entered  the  dining  room. 
She  ate  quickly,  made  sure  that  Malvoney  had 
left  the  hotel,  then  hurried  to  the  wireless  room. 

She  connected  her  instruments  and  at  once 
began  calling  S  —  H.  S  —  H.  S  —  H.  If  Dorn 


248  AMERICAN  PEP 

was  within  hearing  she  knew  he  would  answer. 
She  continued  this  call  for  fifteen  minutes  without 
result.  She  kept  her  ear  trained  on  her  instru- 
ment for  a  reply  as  well  as  on  the  stairs  for  a 
possible  footfall.  She  was  trembling  with  sus- 
pense. Finally  she  was  rewarded.  Clear  as  a 
bell  came  the  familiar  touch.  Her  heart  jumped 
as  though  relieved  of  a  great  weight. 

"Who  calls  S  —  H?" 

" Who  could  callS  — H?" 

"I  know  you." 

"Latitude —  Longitude —  Charleston,  S.  C. 
Where  are  you?  " 

"Convoy  3  —  3  Latitude  —  Longitude  — 
Course —  by —  second  day  out  27  knots.  All's 
well,  jolt  benefited  head.  What's  the  news?" 

"Cargo  sub  bound  from  Mexican  or  Gulf  Base 
to  Germany,  abreast  my  position  tonight.  Will 
take  on  board  lost  S  —  H.  in  burlap  covers. 
M.  and  W.  also  will  likely  go  on  board.  Reach 
Washington  with  this.  I  am  watched  and  prob- 
ably cannot  call  you  again  today.  Keep  tuned 
to  my  instrument  now." 

Betty  knew  that  Dorn  would  now  listen  while 
she  began  calling  M-E-R-B-,  as  instructed  by 
Malvoney.  ' 


AMERICAN  PEP  249 

M-E-R-B-  soon  replied. 

"Strike  while  the  iron  is  hot,"  Betty  answered 
distinctly  so  that  Dorn  could  not  possibly  miss 
the  identification  signal.  M-E-R-B-  replied  as 
usual,  "The  weld  is  good."  He  then  proceeded 
with  a  long  message  in  cipher.  He  had  this 
repeated  to  him  and  instructed  the  station  to 
keep  in  touch  with  him  constantly  all  day.  He 
further  informed  that  he  was  coming  toward 
them. 

"Did  ybu  get  it?"  Betty  risked,  as  soon  as 
M-E-R-B-  had  finished. 

"Yes,  will  try  in  a  half  hour,"  Dorn  replied 
instantly. 

Betty  pictured  him  in  the  wireless  room  of  a 
destroyer  watching  the  movements  of  the  receiver 
with  an  intensity  that  would  tear  from  the  instru- 
ment information  he  wanted  by  sheer  force.  It 
was  hard  to  tell  which  delighted  Betty  more,  a 
realization  that  both  of  them  were  fast  becoming 
very  useful  to  their  country,  or  the  fact  that  they 
were  so  useful  to  each  other. 

Her  thought  then  went  to  the  message  she  had 
received  from  the  cargo  submarine  stealing  up 
the  coast  hi  the  edge  of  the  Gulf  Stream.  Mal- 
voney  would  return  any  moment  now,  and  though 


250  AMERICAN  PEP 

she  made  a  carbon  copy  of  the  message  she  could 
hope  for  no  repetition  of  her  former  luck  in  being 
able  to  transcribe  the  words.  She  could  make 
out  the  words  Black  Vomit  and  the  code  word 
indicating  six.  Six  died,  of  course.  A  plague 
ship,  surely.  Latitude  and  longitude  she  was 
able  to  make  out  from  the  numerals  in  Malvoney's 
former  translation.  They  had  covered  more  than 
half  the  distance  and  would  arrive  abreast  Charles- 
ton in  about  eight  hours,  or  at  five  in  the  evening. 
They  would  easily  be  able  to  take  the  cargo  on 
before  dark  and  proceed  that  night  if  that  was  the 
plan.  She  wondered  how  the  loading  would  be 
accomplished  in  daylight  and  if  Malvoney  were 
going  on  this  cargo  boat. 

Her  speculations  were  interrupted  by  Mal- 
voney's step  on  the  stair.  The  next  moment  he 
burst  into  the  room. 

"Anything  new  this  morning?"  he  asked. 

"M-E-R-B-  finished  sending  this  message 
just  now,"  she  said,  handing  him  the  original 
copy. 

He  took  the  paper  with  a  shaking  hand  and 
walked  to  the  window  as  he  read  it.  He  was 
looking  worn  and  haggard.  His  expansive  girth 
had  shrunk,  as  the  tailoring  of  his  vest  indicated. 


AMERICAN  PEP  251 

Great  wrinkles  furrowed  his  brow  as  he  read  the 
message.  As  before  he  drew  his  chair  to  the 
corner  of  her  table  and  painstakingly  transcribed 
the  message.  He  leaned  back  to  study  its  import, 
then  his  head  dropped  forward  on  its  tallow 
cushion  and  remained  bent  hi  deep  and  troubled 
thought.  He  covered  his  face  with  his  unsteady 
hands  and  Betty  was  able  to  read  without  notice- 
able effort  the  words  he  had  written.  "Six  men 
and  first  officer  died  last  night  with  Black  Vomit. 
Bring  formaldehyde  and  any  good  germicide." 

"Has  Whaley  ever  been  up  here?"  he  finally 
asked. 

"Not  that  I  know  of,"  she  replied. 

"Whaley  is  no  good,"  he  growled,  and  con- 
tinued his  habit  of  pacing  the  floor.  "Does  the 
radio  show  anything  else  important  this  morning?  " 

"I  have  as  you  instructed  tried  only  to  catch 
M-E-R-B-,  and  I  raised  him  as  soon  as  possible." 

"Any  signs  that  this  station  is  known?" 

"No,"  she  answered  simply,  wondering  how 
long  he  was  going  to  try  to  maintain  the  fable. 

He  went  into  the  adjoining  room  where  she 
could  hear  him  moving  about  for  an  hour  or  more, 
then  he  went  down  stairs,  but  she  felt  he  would 
return  at  any  moment  and  knew  it  would  be 


252  AMERICAN  PEP 

dangerous  to  call  the  Government  at  Washington. 
She  also  realized  that  she  could  trust  Dorn  to  get 
in  touch  with  the  authorities  at  the  first  possible 
moment. 

In  a  half  hour  she  again  heard  Malvoney's 
step  on  the  stair. 

"How  much  time  will  you  require  to  pack?" 
he  asked  abruptly. 

"You  mean  to  leave  here?" 

"Yes,  bag  and  baggage!  It  is  necessary  for 
you  to  go  to  a  new  station." 

"A  half  hour  will  be  enough,"  she  replied, 
fully  resolved  to  go  to  any  length  to  finish  the 
dangerous  work  she  had  undertaken. 

"Be  ready  and  down  in  the  office  promptly  at 
eleven,  then.  That  will  give  you  thirty-five 
minutes.  Be  sure  and  get  all  your  things  from 
here  and  don't  forget  that  code  book  in  the 
drawer." 

"All  right,  I  will  be  there."  She  rose  to  put 
her  desk  in  order  and  withdrew  the  switch  from 
the  instruments. 

"Let  me  have  your  key  to  this  room,"  he  said. 

She  passed  it  to  him  and  took  the  code  book 
from  the  drawer  and  left  for  her  room  on  the 
floor  below. 


AMERICAN  PEP  253 

Hastily  she  packed,  wondering  what  was  about 
to  happen.  She  decided  it  was  unsafe  to  retain 
the  true  code  book.  Therefore  in  accordance 
with  part  of  her  secret  instructions  she  took  the 
book,  held  it  over  the  wash  stand  and  poured 
upon  it  an  acid  furnished  for  that  purpose.  The 
paper  turned  black  and  crumpled  into  fine  powder. 
But  the  leather  covering  did  not  respond  to  the 
treatment  so  quickly.  As  she  was  pressed  for 
time  she  tossed  the  empty  cover  back  into  her 
suit  case  and  hurriedly  went  down  to  the  office. 
There  she  found  both  Whaley  and  Malvoney 
waiting. 

They  at  once  entered  a  private  automobile  and 
in  a  twinkling  were  whisked  to  the  wharf  where  a 
private  motor  boat  was  waiting.  She  recognized 
the  boat  owner  who  accompanied  them  as  the 
man  she  had  seen  talking  with  Malvoney  in  front 
of  the  hotel.  She  learned  that  his  name  was 
Bishop.  He  and  Malvoney  at  once  commenced 
to  talk  in  low  tones.  Evidently  something  grave 
was  disturbing  them,  because  Malvoney's  face 
grew  even  more  pasty  and  he  looked  askance  at 
Whaley. 

Whaley  seeming  to  feel  instinctively  the  at- 
mosphere of  hostility  slouched  back  nearer  Betty, 


254  AMERICAN  PEP 

and  as  they  entered  the  boat  he  crouched  close 
to  her  side. 

"What  do  you  think  of  it?"  he  whispered, 
nervously  lighting  a  cigarette  with  his  yellowed 
fingers. 

"I  don't  know  what  to  think,  Whaley,  because 
I  don't  know  where  we  are  going."  She  tried  to 
encourage  his  confidence  again. 

"I  don't  either,"  he  shivered,  "and  I'm  com- 
mencing to  get  cold  feet.  The  old  man  raised 
hell  this  morning.  I  wish  I  was  out  of  it." 

"What's  been  keeping  you  so  busy?  Did  you 
get  the  boat  loaded?  " 

"Yes,  we  finished  that  in  the  night  after  I  left 
you,  and  she's  gone." 

"What  kind  of  boat  was  it?" 

"One  of  those  old  sail  boats  that  carry  manure 
out  to  the  islands." 

"Where  are  they  taking  it?" 

"I  don't  know.  The  old  man  has  been  mighty 
tight  with  me  lately.  I'm  in  bad  with  him,  I 
guess.  But  I  imagine  we'll  come  up  with  it 
before  we  get  off  this  boat." 

At  this  time  a  negro  dressed  in  white  came 
from  below  bringing  a  small  table  covered  with  a 
linen  cloth. 


AMERICAN  PEP  .  255 

"I  guess  we  are  in  for  some  good  eats,"  specu- 
lated Whaley,  noting  the  preparation  with  elation. 
And  as  the  fast  little  boat  sped  seaward  over  the 
bar  out  of  the  harbor  a  liberal  luncheon  was  served. 

Betty  ate  with  little  comment  but  watched 
Malvoney's  every  movement.  Whaley  soon  left 
her  and  went  below.  She  was  relieved  to  be 
alone  with  her  turbulent  thoughts  and  conjec- 
tures. There  was  no  doubt  now  that  she  was 
bound  for  the  cargo  submarine  due  off  Charleston. 
Evidently  she  was  to  be  put  aboard  that  plague 
ship  to  take  the  place  of  a  wireless  operator  who 
had  recently  died  of  the  dread  disease.  She 
knew  that  six  men  and  the  first  officer  had  died 
during  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  and  that  the 
disease  on  the  ship  was  at  its  height.  At  first 
she  recoiled  in  horror  at  the  thought.  She  was 
mere  flesh  and  blood,  after  all.  But  she  stiffened 
herself  with  the  memory  of  the  thousand  deaths 
Dorn  had  faced  and  was  still  facing.  She  deter- 
mined to  see  it  through.  She  must  not  let  herself 
dwell  upon  her  own  personal  danger.  She  settled 
down  on  a  couch  in  the  cabin,  wishing  if  possible 
to  sleep.  Presently  she  dozed  and  was  wakened 
by  harsh  voices  near  the  cabin  door.  She  realized 
that  they  now  were  in  rough  water. 


256  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Good  God,  Whaley,"  Malvoney  was  protest- 
ing, "don't  act  like  a  damn  fool.  This  craft  is 
in  no  possible  danger.  You  boozed  too  much  last 
night." 

She  turned  her  head  and  saw  both  men  on 
deck.  She  also  was  interested  to  note  that  the 
motor  boat  was  now  towing  a  little  sailing  vessel. 

"I  don't  believe  you,"  groaned  Whaley.  "This 
damned  tub  will  sink."  He  was  shaking  with 
genuine  fear  of  death.  "I  want  to  go  back. 
I  didn't  want  to  come  aboard  anyhow,  but  you 
made  me.  I  never  can  stand  this."  He  writhed 
in  his  deck  chair  very  sea  sick. 

"I  know  you  are  very  sick,  Whaley,"  soothed 
Malvoney,  with  a  sneer,  "but  this  is  the  safest 
place  for  you.  The  boat  is  not  going  to  sink. 
Brace  up.  Suppose  the  worst  comes.  There  is 
a  fine  lot  of  life  preservers  on  board.  When  you 
have  one  of  those  on,  you  can't  possibly  sink." 
Malvoney  glanced  toward  Betty  who  still  pre- 
tended to  sleep. 

"See,"  he  continued,  "here  are  piles  of  them." 
Malvoney  pulled  a  life  preserver  from  a  chest 
fastened  to  the  deck.  "This  one  will  just  fit 
you."  He  dragged  Whaley  forward  on  his  chair 
and  adjusted  the  straps  that  fastened  the  belt  to 


"  The  wretched  man  plunged  headlong  into  the  sea." 


AMERICAN  PEP  257 

the  body.  "Now  you  are  as  safe  as  though  you 
were  on  land." 

Whaley  opened  his  eyes  to  look  down  at  the 
contraption  of  which  he  knew  nothing.  The 
boat  was  now  rolling  in  the  heavy  sea  and  caused 
Whaley  additional  distress.  With  a  supreme 
effort  he  gained  his  feet  and  made  for  the  rail. 

Malvoney  stood  close  behind  him  in  an  attitude 
that  made  Betty  half  rise  from  the  couch.  When 
the  boat  rolled  violently  to  that  side  Malvoney 
with  a  dexterous  movement  flipped  Whaley's  feet 
from  under  him  and  the  wretched  man  plunged 
headlong  into  the  sea,  and  sunk  like  a  chunk  of 
lead. 


Chapter  Twenty-five 


BETTY  ROSE  FROM  THE  COUCH  WITH 
a  quickly  stifled  cry,  for  realizing  her  own 
danger  she  sank  back  again  and  pretended 
sleep.  Bishop,  the  boat  owner,  was  approaching, 
and  he  and  Malvoney  were  watching  her.  She 
could  feel  the  dark  piercing  eyes  of  Malvoney, 
even  though  her  own  eyes  remained  closed. 

"No,  she's  still  asleep,"  said  Malvoney  in  a 
relieved  tone,  "yet  it  doesn't  matter  much,  she's 
in  too  deep  herself  to  back  out  now.  That  damn 
fool  Whaley  didn't  know  there  was  lead  in  that 
life  preserver  instead  of  cork." 

"War  calls  for  the  exercise  of  all  our  faculties," 
remarked  Bishop. 

Betty  was  filled  with  a  mingling  of  horror  and 
relief.  She  had  despised  Whaley  and  believed  he 
deserved  his  fate,  but  the  ruthlessness  of  Mal- 
voney's  methods  appalled  her.  She  saw  reflected 
here  her  own  fate  if  she  crossed  him,  or  was 


AMERICAN  PEP  259 

detected  in  her  deception.  She  said  amen  to 
Bishop's  remark. 

She  concluded  that  the  little  vessel  they  were 
to  whig  contained  the  cases  of  S.  H.  well  disguised 
in  burlap,  according  to  the  information  given 
by  Whaley.  She  knew  their  position  was  now 
critical  hi  the  extreme.  She  must  use  all  her 
wit  and  caution  to  guard  her  prize,  yet  satisfy 
Malvoney's  requirements. 

She  knew  that  Malvoney  was  now  watching 
her  from  the  doorway,  so  she  stirred  and  rubbed 
her  eyes  as  if  just  awakening.  He  came  forward 
and  stood  beside  her. 

"I  haven't  had  time  to  tell  you  where  we  are 
going,"  he  began.  She  raised  herself  and  prepared 
to  listen. 

"We  go  aboard  a  cargo  ship  bound  for  the 
Azores,"  he  informed.  "They  are  short  a  wire- 
less man.  We  will  meet  the  vessel  coming  this 
way  and  you  will  be  transferred  to  it.  But  you 
can't  go  on  board  as  a  woman;  you  must  dress  as 
a  man  and  be  a  man  to  all  appearances  while  you 
are  there." 

"I  don't  think  I  want  to  do  that,"  she  hesitated 
more  from  diplomacy  than  serious  objection. 

His  heavy  lips  curled  in  a  cruel  smile.     "You 


260  AMERICAN  PEP 

are  under  orders,"  he  reminded  curtly.  "Here 
is  the  uniform  of  a  sailor;  put  it  on  and  report 
to  me." 

Betty  stood  in  silence  and  took  the  uniform 
from  him.  "Yes,  I  am  under  orders,"  she  finally 
said.  "I  must  do  anything  you  wish."  She  was 
eager  for  action,  but  repressed  her  excitement, 
resuming  her  seat. 

Malvoney  took  a  pair  of  barber's  clippers  from 
his  side  pocket  and  ordered  her  to  unpin  her  hair. 
It  was  bound  around  her  head  in  a  single  braid. 

"Oh,  but  you  mustn't  do  that!"  she  cried  out 
in  real  alarm.  "I  can't  let  you  cut  my  hair. 
I  will  coil  it  under  the  cap,  and  no  one  will 


see." 


"It  has  to  be  done,"  he  snapped,  "don't  cry 
baby."  His  touch  was  brutal  as  he  started  the 
clippers  in  the  middle  of  her  forehead  and  with 
a  dozen  swift  strokes  bared  her  head.  He  flung 
the  braid  into  her  lap  brutally.  "Now  get  dressed 
quickly,"  he  ordered,  "we  will  be  alongside  before 
many  minutes."  He  left  the  cabin  and  closed 
the  door  sharply  behind  him. 

Betty  passed  her  hand  over  her  shorn  head. 
For  a  moment  the  woman  in  her  rebelled  fiercely. 
She  had  loved  her  hair.  Hot  tears  fell  upon  it. 


AMERICAN  PEP  261 

Dorn  had  admired  it,  too,  she  recalled  with  fervor. 
Her  hatred  for  Malvoney  now  burned  more 
fiercely.  The  woman  as  well  as  the  soldier 
was  now  in  arms.  Then  she  smiled  bravely. 
Kad  she  not  consecrated  her  body  and  her  life 
to  her  country's  use,  and  this  was  only  the  first 
battle  ground?  She  must  be  sensibly  brave. 
She  knew  she  was  going  to  a  plague  ship  whose 
capture  was  of  the  utmost  importance,  especially 
as  it  was  going  to  take  on  the  S.  H.  now  being 
towed  in  the  little  vessel.  The  Government 
would  give  large  sums  for  its  discovery  and  de- 
struction. What  did  her  life  of  bodily  safety 
count  against  such  a  prize?  There  was  mighty 
incentive  for  bravery  now. 

She  dressed  herself  in  the  blue  uniform  of  a  Ger- 
man sailor.  She  kissed  the  long  braid  of  beautiful 
brown  hair  as  she  carefully  placed  it  in  her  suit 
case  with  her  clothing,  but  try  as  hard  as  she 
could,  the  hot  tears  again  fell  upon  it.  Then  with 
uplifted  head  and  brave  heart  she  returned  to 
face  Malvoney.  She  submitted  stoically  to  his 
scrutiny.  She  would  pass  very  well  for  a  petty 
officer. 

"First  give  me  that  United  States  code  book," 
he  ordered.  "I  want  to  use  it." 


262  AMERICAN  PEP 

Without  hesitation  Betty  procured  the  book 
from  her  baggage  and  handed  it  to  him. 

"From  now  on  your  name  is  to  be  Mark 
Whaley,"  he  informed  her.  "Keep  Whaley's 
baggage  with  you,  and  if  searched,  keep  up  the 
bluff.  I  do  not  anticipate  any  trouble,  but  if 
there  is,  I  depend  upon  you.  If  you  do  your 
work  right  you'll  get  a  large  reward.  If  you 
don't  —  well  —  His  face  darkened  and  Betty 
shivered  inwardly. 

She  merely  nodded  her  head  and  he  contem- 
plated her  with  a  distorted  smile.  "Did  you 
know  that  a  serious  accident  happened  to  Whaley? 
He  fell  overboard  and  was  drowned." 

"Is  that  so?"  exclaimed  Betty  in  a  shocked 
voice.  Her  white  face  reflected  no  pretense. 
His  calloused  indifference  and  the  menace  in  his 
own  words  toward  herself  caused  her  stout  heart 
to  recoil. 

"Yes,  he  lost  his  balance  and  must  have  sunk 
at  once,  poor  devil."  Then  he  turned  abruptly 
to  join  Bishop,  who  was  looking  at  Betty  with 
appraising  eyes. 

Betty  sat  alone  a  long  time  watching  the  sun 
near  the  horizon  and  making  plans.  Before 
sundown  they  hove  to  and  she  saw  near  them  a 


AMERICAN  PEP  263 

long  squat  vessel.  Out  of  the  center  of  the  hog- 
like  back  rose  a  little  square  house  which 
she  afterward  learned  was  called  the  conning 
tower.  The  sea  had  gone  down  until  there  was 
little  motion.  This  was  exactly  the  condition 
Malvoney  had  prayed  for.  The  little  vessel 
they  had  in  tow  was  drawn  to  the  side  of  the  hog- 
back stranger.  Betty  knew  that  the  burlap- 
covered  cases  of  S.  H.  were  being  transferred. 
This  was  accomplished  with  rapidity. 

Just  before  dark  Betty's  suit  cases  with  Whaley's 
and  Malvoney's  private  baggage  were  loaded. 
When  all  were  on  board  the  great  cargo  submarine 
she  felt  a  gradual  rising  of  dread  and  uncertainty, 
but  with  a  supreme  effort  stiffened  herself  to 
face  the  ordeal. 

She  sensed  the  full  peril  and  menace  of  her 
position,  the  only  woman  among  a  crew  of 
desperate  German  sailors,  on  board  a  plague 
ship  with  a  red-lipped  sensual  beast  claiming  title 
to  her  soul.  At  that  moment  she  thanked 
God  that  Dorn  did  not  know  of  her  plight. 
She  would  make  no  effort  to  help  him  locate 
her  until  she  could  relieve  him  of  torturing 
anxiety  concerning  her  fate.  He  would  believe 
that  her  messages  still  came  from  South  Carolina. 


264  AMERICAN  PEP 

The  cargo  hold  was  closed  and  the  men  were 
so  completely  out  of  sight  that  the  vessel  seemed 
almost  like  an  abandoned  derelict.  Presently 
a  medium-sized  man  with  prominent  cheek  bones 
appeared  and  bowed  indifferently  to  her.  He 
resembled  Whaley  some,  without  the  hectic 
nose.  She  soon  knew  him  as  Captain  Hans. 
He  pointed  to  a  low  metal  door  in  the  steel  box- 
like  house  on  the  back  of  the  undersea  vessel. 
Beside  this  door  on  a  steel  shelf  was  the  wire- 
less. She  saw  that  no  one  was  in  charge  of  the 
instrument. 

"That  will  be  your  room  for  the  present," 
said  the  Captain.  "You  can  be  near  the  wireless 
there.  If  you  need  anything,  call  me."  He 
spoke  English  without  accent  and  his  voice  was 
not  unkind.  She  concluded  from  the  softening 
of  his  tone  that  he  knew  she  was  a  woman,  prac- 
tically forced  on  board,  mutilated  and  disguised 
as  a  man.  Perhaps  he,  too,  was  a  victim  of 
circumstances. 

"Thank  you,"  she  said  quietly  and  entered 
the  room.  It  evidenced  some  signs  of  having 
been  prepared  for  her.  It  was  lighted  cnly  by 
two  electric  bulbs  and  was  immediately  under 
the  forward  upper  shell  of  the  submarine.  It 


AMERICAN  PEP  265 

was  hardly  high  enough  for  her  to  stand  erect 
in;  the  highest  place  decreased  like  the  sloping 
sides  of  a  tent.  She  found  a  folding  cot,  wash 
stand,  toilet  and  a  small  table  with  a  steel  stool. 
An  odor  warned  her  of  recent  fumigation,  and 
a  book  still  on  the  narrow  shelf  gave  her  the 
information  that  the  room  had  been  occupied 
by  the  first  officer  who  she  knew  had  died  the 
day  before  with  yellow  fever.  She  soon  learned 
that  the  adjoining  room  was  the  Captain's  quarters 
and  that  back  of  the  tower  Malvoney  shared  the 
room  of  the  second  and  third  officers. 

In  a  few  moments  a  boy  brought  in  a  tray  of 
food.  Betty  was  hungry  and  ate  with  relish. 
But  she  soon  became  very  warm  as  the  little 
room  was  ventilated  only  by  fan  circulation. 
She  also  was  eager  to  get  out  and  report  for 
work.  So  she  left  the  tower  and  sought  Captain 
Hans. 

"The  other  operator  will  come  on  at  eight  and 
remain  until  midnight,"  he  informed  her,  "then 
you  come  on  and  stand  a  six  hour  watch." 

"If  he  is  tired  I  don't  mind  going  on  at  once," 
she  offered. 

"He  has  been  off  for  six  hours  now  and  is 
ready.  We  have  been  without  an  operator  since 


266  AMERICAN  PEP 

two  o'clock  as  we  had  only  one  until  you  came 
aboard." 

She  stood  at  his  side  as  he  scanned  the  sea  from 
the  center  of  the  tower  hi  all  directions.  "We 
are  short-handed  all  around,"  he  went  on,  "and 
I  have  to  stand  an  eight  hour  watch  myself  in 
order  not  to  overwork  my  officers.  There  are 
only  three  of  us  now." 

Betty  shuddered.  She  knew  that  his  men 
had  been  dying  of  yellow  fever.  She  did  not 
know  how  many  had  died  that  day,  but  if  six 
and  the  officer  had  gone  the  day  before,  that 
surely  meant  more  had  succumbed  today.  She 
wondered  what  her  chances  were. 

"You  better  turn  hi  and  get  all  the  sleep  you 
can  before  midnight,"  the  Captain  suggested. 
"The  night  watches  are  pretty  tiresome  until 
you  get  used  to  them." 

"All  right,  Captain,"  she  agreed.  "Will  I 
be  called  or  am  I  expected  to  get  up  myself?" 

"You  will  be  Colled,"  he  assured  her;  "do  not 
fear  oversleeping.  I  remain  on  watch  myself 
till  then." 

She  passed  back  through  the  narrow  door  to 
her  room  and  let  down  the  folding  cot.  She 
noticed  that  it  was  furnished  with  new  blankets. 


AMERICAN  PEP  267 

Although  she  did  not  relish  sleeping  where  death 
had  so  recently  occurred  from  the  malignant 
disease  she  refused  wisely  to  dwell  on  this  danger 
and  prepared  to  sleep  as  much  as  possible  until 
midnight.  She  soon  heard  the  wireless  working 
and  knew  the  operator  had  returned.  She  could 
hear  distinctly  everything  that  was  going  on  and 
understood  his  call  for  a  shore  station. 

After  a  long  tiresome  effort  the  station  an- 
swered and  as  the  operator  used  highest  voltage 
on  his  instruments  she  inferred  that  the  station 
was  some  distance  away.  His  message  was  in 
the  code  Malvoney  had  used. 

She  was  able  to  read  most  of  the  figures  and 
was  sure  he  reported  only  two  deaths  that  day. 
Then  followed  details  of  receiving  freight  and  a 
wireless  operator. 

Betty  fell  asleep  as  she  listened  and  was  wakened 
about  eleven  thirty.  She  bathed  her  face  and 
was  about  to  report  for  duty  when  a  sailor  tapped 
on  her  door  and  handed  her  steaming  coffee 
and  rolls. 

After  eating  she  went  out  into  the  dark  conning 
tower  and  was  greeted  pleasantly  by  the  Captain 
still  on  watch.  She  could  see  a  dim  outline  of 


268  AMERICAN  PEP 

the  operator  sitting  on  a  steel  stool  in  front  of 
the  instrument. 

"I  think  he's  gone  to  sleep,"  Captain  Hans 
said  with  real  consideration.  "The  last  thirty 
hours  alone  at  the  instrument  with  only  six 
hours'  rest  have  been  heavy.  Shake  him  a 
little." 

Betty  did  as  requested  a  little  timidly,  but 
received  no  response.  The  Captain  grasped  the 
man's  shoulders  more  insistently  and  the  operator 
instead  of  waking  fell  heavily  to  the  floor.  He 
was  dead.  The  fever  had  claimed  another 
victim. 

"You  go  back  into  your  room  for  a  while," 
commanded  the  Captain,  and  Betty  was  glad 
to  obey. 

She  was  white  and  shaken.  She  must  resume 
the  work  of  a  man  who  had  just  died  with  the 
dreaded  plague.  There  was  every  chance  for 
infection.  But  again  the  thought  of  Dorn  stif- 
fened her.  She  must  go  through  it,  of  course, 
just  as  he  had  gone  through,  and  was  still  going. 

With  a  shudder  she  heard  in  a  few  minutes  the 
body  dropped  heavily  into  the  sea. 


Chapter   Twenty-six 


DORN,    AFTER    THE    FIRST    BUSY 
hours  of  getting  away  with  the  great 
transport,  "Adze,"  soon  began  to  realize 
all  the  material  advantages  of  his  commission. 
As  an  officer  he  was  entitled  to  the  best  room 
and  association  at  mess  with  the  commissioned 
men.    This,    in     his     weakened    condition,    he 
doubly  appreciated. 

To  ride  on  this  great  power  plant,  to  feel  its 
sway  and  vibration,  was  a  tonic  in  itself.  The 
terrific  speed  of  the  "Adze"  served  as  a  lotion  to 
his  nerves.  This  transport,  in  addition  to  being 
equipped  with  everything  a  destroyer  needed, 
had  on  the  end  of  her  blade  cutwater  a  powerful 
ram.  This,  with  her  speed  of  twice  any  similar 
craft,  made  her  a  veritable  swordfish.  In  addi- 
tion she  carried  a  heavy  gun  and  depth  bombs 
charged  with  fifty  pounds  of  new  super-explosive. 
Dorn  was  told  that  the  new  explosive  was 
called  S.  H.  for  short.  He  smiled  strangely  as 


270  AMERICAN  PEP 

they,  in  innocence  of  his  knowledge,  gave 
him  its  history,  with  certain  embellishments  from 
their  own  imagination  concerning  its  awesome 
qualities.  He  met  the  men  only  at  meal  times, 
as  during  the  rest  of  the  day  he  was  obliged  to 
stay  with  his  instruments,  so  they  saw  little  of 
him. 

On  his  second  day  aboard  he  received  Betty's 
message  concerning  the  cargo  submarine  coming 
north.  He  was  tremendously  moved,  both  with 
delight  to  hear  from  her,  and  with  excitement 
at  the  possibilities  now  before  them.  The  right- 
ing virus  in  his  blood  took  fire,  and  it  was  only 
with  great  effort  that  he  quelled  his  desire  for 
quick  action  in  order  that  his  judgment  might 
be  reliable.  He  was  finishing  this  inward  fight 
with  himself  when  Lieutenant  Worth  in  com- 
mand came  into  the  wireless  room. 

"We  are  headed  for  the  Azores,  as  I  under- 
stand it,  Lieutenant?"  said  Dorn. 

"Yes,  barring  accidents  and  bad  weather  we 
ought  to  be  .there  in  sixty  hours,"  Worth  replied, 
dropping  into  a  seat  across  the  narrow  table. 

"Do  we  call  there?" 

"Not  unless  something  happens  to  make  it 
necessary.  But  it  is  Portuguese,  you  know. 


AMERICAN  PEP  271 

The  big  ship  back  there  has  really  had  no  try- 
out  since  being  repaired  of  damages  done  by 
the  Huns  at  the  dock,  and  it  could  easily  transpire 
that  something  would  run  hot  or  need  adjust- 
ment by  the  time  we  get  there.  Why  do  you 
ask?" 

"I  have  been  getting  wireless  information 
from  the  south  that  may  develop  into  some- 
thing important,  but  I  can't  tell  yet.  How 
long  would  a  fifteen  or  eighteen  knot  boat  take 
to  come  from  a  point  near  Charleston  to  the 
Azores?" 

Worth  made  a  rapid  mental  calculation.  "She 
would  get  here  about  a  day  behind  us  with  equally 
good  luck,"  he  replied. 

"How  long  will  it  take  us  to  reach  our  objec- 
tive in  France  from  the  Azores?" 

"About  two  days  if  we  do  not  have  to  leave 
our  course  for  the  Hun.  This  is  the  fourth 
trip  I  have  made  as  part  of  a  convoy.  I  am 
getting  used  to  it.  There  really  is  only  one  bad 
place  after  we  leave  the  Azores  and  that  is  where 
we  cross  the  path  into  the  Mediterranean." 

Dorn  was  thinking  fast.  "Do  you  suppose 
we  could  get  detached  from  this  convoy  if  the 
need  were  urgent?" 


272  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Nothing  is  impossible  as  long  as  we  can 
reach  Washington  with  our  radio.  But  it  would 
have  to  be  something  big.  You  see,  Dorn, 
there  are  over  ten  thousand  souls  between  the 
steel  sides  of  that  ship.  She  was  the  pride  of  the 
Huns  before  we  took  her  and  put  her  into  shape 
to  carry  troops.  If  anything  should  happen 
to  her  every  Hun  by  birth  or  by  nature  would 
sing  his  hellish  hymn  of  hate.  But  what's  on 
your  mind,  can't  you  tell  me?  " 

"Pardon  me  if  I  appear  secretive,  but  I  have 
nothing  definite  yet.  I'll  tell  you  as  soon  as 
there  is  anything  tangible." 

"When  is  it  apt  to  develop?" 

"I  can  only  speculate  on  that,  but  I  know  I 
can  depend  on  you  to  back  up  any  possible 
request  I  make  to  Washington  to  be  detached 
for  special  duty."  Dorn  looked  at  Lieutenant 
Worth  with  a  square,  searching  scrutiny. 

"To  the  last  rivet  of  this  speedster,  and  she 
is  the  fastest  boat  in  the  world,"  replied  Worth, 
grimly. 

"Then  I'll  want  to  talk  it  over  with  you  as 
soon  as  I  have  positive  information." 

Worth  nodded  and  left  the  wireless  room. 

That  afternoon  and  evening  Dorn  tried  several 


AMERICAN  PEP  273 

times  to  get  some  response  from  Betty,  but  was 
unable  to  raise  her.  The  next  morning  he 
tried  again,  with  better  results. 

" Ship's  health  bad,"  she  reported.  "Second 
and  third  officers  went  last  night  with  plague. 
Driving  hard  for  Azores.  May  be  in  position 
to  offer  more  details  tomorrow." 

Dorn  was  unable  to  learn  where  Betty  was. 
He  had  no  hint  that  she,  herself,  was  on  board 
this  plague  ship.  He  believed  that  she  still 
was  on  duty  at  an  illicit  land  station  receiving 
reports  from  the  submarine.  He  knew  she  was 
using  a  wide  range  station,  but  he  was  now  both- 
ered by  the  possibility  of  passing  out  of  her 
radio  circle. 

He  telephoned  to  Lieutenant  Worth,  whose 
quarters  were  aft.  The  officer  came  to  him  at 
once. 

"I  have  more  news  from  the  south  this  morn- 
ing," Dorn  informed  him.  "  Yesterday's  suspicions 
have  developed  into  more  clear-cut  information." 
Dorn  then  proceeded  to  outline  the  entire  situa- 
tion. As  he  talked  the  lieutenant  leaned  for- 
ward across  the  instrument  table,  alert  and 
tensely  interested.  "And  now,"  ended  Dorn, 
"at  Charleston,  or  some  fifty  or  sixty  miles 


274  AMERICAN  PEP 

abreast  of  that  point,  1960  cases  of  S.  H. 
were  transferred  to  this  boat  I  know  as  'Merb' 
Can  you  figure  how  much  behind  us  she  will 
arrive  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Azores?" 

"Let  me  see —  "  Worth  drew  two  converging 
lines  with  his  pencil  and  made  the  nautical  posi- 
tions. "She  will  be  behind  us  from  thirty-six 
to  forty-eight  hours." 

"How  long  would  it  take  us  to  finish  our  convoy 
work  and  return  to  the  Azores,  if  we  had  the 
orders?  " 

"If  we  were  relieved  the  moment  we  arrived 
in  France  and  returned  at  full  speed,  we  would 
be  back  in  three  or  four  days." 

"Then,  if  the  'Merb'  had  to  stop  at  the  Azores 
two  days  to  get  an  officer  or  two,  we  could  return 
here  before  she  could  get  away?" 

"Yes,  I  think  that's  good  reasoning.  But,  of 
course,  we  could  tell  more  definitely  tomorrow," 
he  added.  "When  will  you  get  another  radio 
report  concerning  the  German  sub?" 

"Probably  not  before  tomorrow.  I  suppose 
you  know  that  the  big  ship  behind  us  has  been 
reporting  engine  trouble  to  Washington?" 

"Yes,  a  crank  pin  is  running  hot.  I  suppose 
that  was  one  of  the  new  parts  supplied  at  the 


AMERICAN  PEP  275 

repair  works.  But  I  don't  imagine  they'll  be 
likely  to  stop  for  that." 

"A  crank  pin  can  make  a  lot  of  trouble  when 
it  starts  going  bad,"  reminded  Dorn. 

"We  won't  let  anything  leak  out  about  this 
sub,"  cautioned  Worth  as  he  rose.  "We  must 
have  that  snake,  and  single-handed,  too,  Lieuten- 
ant. Don't  give  those  other  fellows  a  chance 
to  get  in  on  the  hat.  We've  got  the  latest  bombs 
and  the  speed  of  an  airship.  If  we  get  within 
sight  of  the  sub  we  will  either  sink  him  or  get 
him." 

The  remainder  of  the  day  brought  no  more 
news  from  the  "Merb."  But  it  developed  that 
the  big  ship's  trouble  was  not  abating,  and 
worse,  one  of  her  pumps  was  making  protests 
against  conditions.  Dorn  was  not  surprised 
when  next  morning  she  came  to  anchor  in  the 
open  roadstead  at  the  Azores  with  the  three 
escorting  destroyers  moving  with  low  speed  in  a 
circle  around  her. 

Dorn  had  managed  to  sleep  most  of  the  time 
since  midnight,  but  was  now  so  busy  that  he  had 
to  have  his  breakfast  sent  to  him.  While  he  was 
eating  Lieutenant  Worth  came  in,  anxious  and 
expectant. 


276  AMERICAN  PEP 

"How  long  do  you  suppose  we'll  have  to  stay 
in  this  hell?"  Worth  grumbled.  "I  figured  on 
getting  this  troop  ship  into  France  and  getting 
a  roving  commission  to  come  back  and  look  for 
the  Hun  who  now  thinks  his  nose  is  out  of 
danger." 

"The  chief  engineer  reports  a  burnt-out  crank 
pin.  He  says  the  box  must  be  scraped  before 
he  can  proceed.  That  will  require,  with  the 
difficult  packing  of  the  pump,  perhaps  forty- 
eight  hours,  maybe  sixty,"  calculated  Dorn. 

"Nothing  more  from  the  south?"  Worth  asked. 

Dorn  shook  his  head. 

"But  I  may  hear  any  moment.  Who  must 
we  go  to  for  authority  to  leave?" 

"No  one  as  long  as  the  troop  ship  is  at  anchor. 
Two  destroyers  circling  her  will  be  adequate 
protection.  I  am  the  ranking  officer  and  the 
ranking  ship.  I  will  board  the  troop  vessel 
now  and  find  out  directly  from  the  Captain 
just  what  the  outlook  is." 

After  Worth  had  gone  Dorn  sat  and  looked 
at  the  wireless  as  if  he  would  conjure  it  into 
immediate  activity.  Every  nerve  was  a-tingle 
with  the  prospect  of  getting  his  man.  Dorn 
did  not  think  of  the  "Merb"  as  a  prize,  yielding 


AMERICAN  PEP  277 

him  money.  He  wanted  only  that  explosive  and 
the  red-lipped  dog  on  board. 

He  sat,  keenly  alert,  waiting  for  Betty's  prom- 
ised message.  When  it  came  he  recognized 
instantly  her  peculiar  touch  that  he  would  know 
among  thousands.  His  heart  rushed  out  to 
meet  her  across  the  space  that  divided. 

They  both  responded  to  the  signal,  then  fol- 
lowed the  longitude  and  latitude  of  the  "Merb." 
"Moving  under  tremendous  pressure  for  the 
Azores,"  Betty  reported.  "Captain  only  man 
left  to  navigate.  Plague  claimed  all  the  officers 
and  more  than  half  the  crew.  I  can  likely  re- 
port several  times  a  day  now,  obstructions 
removed,  but  must  cut  off  now." 

Dorn's  delight  would  have  been  seriously 
tempered  with  misgivings  had  he  known  that 
Betty  was  on  board  the  plague  ship.  But  he 
still  believed  her  on  land  keeping  in  touch  with 
the  "  Merb's  "  movements  by  means  of  the  wireless. 

At  that  moment  Worth  came  briskly  into  the 
room. 

"Lieutenant  Dorn,"  he  began,  "that  ship's 
mechanic  has  a  big  job  ahead  of  him;  two  and  a 
half  days  at  least  will  be  required  before  she  can 
sail.  Have  you  heard  anything  from  the  south?" 


278  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Yes,  just  finished.  She  reports  latitude  and 
longitude  and  coming  this  way  under  all  possible 
engine  pressure  to  get  officers  to  relieve  the 
captain,  the  only  officer  survivor.  There  is 
the  message  written  out." 

"But  Good  God,  man,  she  now  is  within  twenty- 
four  hours  of  here,  and  at  the  rate  she  is  coming 
we  can  get  her  sure!  It  can't  be  true,  it  seems 
too  good!  Dorn,  she  is  ours!" 

"But  remember,  Worth,"  cautioned  Dorn 
gravely,  "we  must  make  no  mistake.  A  single 
act  in  the  next  twenty-four  hours  may  even 
turn  the  tide  of  war." 


Chapter   Twenty-seven 


AT  NOON  DORN  AGAIN  RECEIVED 
Betty's  call.  She  reported  no  change. 
"Ample  fuel  and  engine  crew  not  af- 
fected by  plague,"  she  informed.  "But  ship  in 
many  other  ways  neglected  through  lack  of  crew. 
Officers'  quarters  fumigated  every  six  hours. 
Should  reach  Azores  early  tomorrow.  Plan  is 
to  go  to  channel  —  between  islands.  Will  send 
Malvoney  ashore,  then  submerge  and  lie  on  the 
bottom  until  he  returns  with  officers  and  men 
procured  from  a  secret  agent  there.  More 
men  absolutely  necessary  to  work  her  through 
the  English  Channel,  where  they  must  run  sub- 
merged. Nothing  more  before  eight  tonight," 
she  ended. 

Again  Dorn  believed  that  she  was  signalling 
from  the  illicit  land  station,  from  which  point 
she  was  keeping  in  touch  with  the  German 
submarine.  Had  he  known  her  real  position, 
his  fears  would  have  become  unbearable. 


28o  AMERICAN  PEP 

He  at  once  telephoned  Lieutenant  Worth, 
who  came  immediately  to  the  wireless  room. 

"She  is  making  record  time,"  greeted  Dorn, 
"and  with  no  accidents  will  make  the  islands 
tomorrow.  She  will  hide  between  islands  in 
the  channel.  They  will  let  Malvoney  ashore 
to  reach  the  agent  and  the  vessel  will  lay  on  the 
bottom  until  he  returns  with  the  men." 

"And  so  they  have  an  agent  here?  How  the 
Portuguese  would  grimace  at  that!  By  Heavens, 
when  they  get  hold  of  that  combination  the 
man  Malvoney  and  the  agent  will  see  the  next 
sunrise  in  hell.  Just  think  of  a  wireless  station 
in  Charleston,  in  a  town  of  seventy-five  thousand 
red-blooded  patriotic  people,  being  allowed  to 
send  messages  to  us  here.  How  I  would  like 
to  handle  the  knife  that  would  cut  out  such  a 
rotten  spot!" 

"But  let's  get  down  to  tacks,"  reminded  Dorn. 
"Shall  we  go  and  meet  her  and  attempt  her 
capture  at  sea,  or  shall  we  let  her  come  on  here? 
What  we  want  to  figure  on  is  a  trap  for  the  Hun, 
his  cargo  and  his  snakes  aboard,  bearing  in  mind 
that  they  have  fifty  tons  of  explosive  that  is 
urgently  needed.  Also,  do  you  realize  that 
one  shot  from  us  might  set  off  that  fearful  stuff? 


AMERICAN  PEP  281 

What  would  be  left  of  the  vessel  were  it  exploded, 
or  what  would  be  left  of  us,  even  deep  in  the  water 
as  we  are,  and  two  or  three  miles  away?  We 
mustn't  forget  also  that  it  is  a  plague  ship  in 
which  more  than  half  the  officers  and  crew  have 
dropped  dead  with  the  vilest  and  most  contagious 
disease.  We've  got  to  do  some  thinking,  Worth. 
It  seems  as  if  we  were  up  against  it  whichever 
way  we  handle  the  trap.  Are  you  willing,  per- 
sonally, to  go  into  it?" 

"A  thousand  times  yes.  I'm  right  with  you, 
Dorn,"  shouted  Worth.  "Shouldn't  think  you'd 
have  to  ask  that." 

Dora's  hand  shot  out  in  contrition  and  the 
men's  rich  brave  blood  tingled  at  the  hand 
grip. 

"She'll  surely  be  coming  right  this  way," 
said  Dora.  "I'll  get  news  from  her  again  after 
eight  tonight;  we'd  better  just  wait." 

"Yes,  nothing  could  be  gamed  by  checking 
her  now.  I'll  be  back  as  soon  as  I  have  time  to 
study  a  chart  of  the  islands,"  he  said,  as  he  rose 
to  leave. 

At  eight  o'clock  Dorn  sat  waiting  for  the 
transmitter  to  bring  him  the  message  which 
would  come  freighted  with  important  news. 


282  AMERICAN  PEP 

During  the  afternoon  Lieutenant  Worth  had 
spent  much  time  locating  the  spot  where  the 
"Merb"  would  be  most  likely  to  land  a  man  and 
then  submerge.  The  tides  were  studied  also 
for  the  possibilities  of^a  hiding-place  where  they 
could  await  the  coming  of  the  German  sub- 
marine. They  evolved  several  plans,  hoping 
that  one  of  them  would  fit  the  exact  time,  place, 
and  condition  of  the  enemy's  arrival. 

At  8.15  Betty's  stroke  came  on  Dorn's  sounder. 
"Still  sailing  full  ahead,"  she  reported.  "Longi- 
tude —  latitude  —  time  ship's  clock  —  Plague 
abated.  One  more  sailor  died  today,  but  no 
more  threatened.  Wireless  operator  giving  way 
some  under  strain  of  overwork,  but  it  may  be 
fever.  If  so  no  more  reports,  as  the  disease 
develops  in  a  few  hours.  Striving  to  arrive  at 
selected  rendezvous  between  islands  designated 
before  daybreak  tomorrow.  Will  submerge  as 
soon  as  Malvoney  goes  ashore.  S.  H.  is  aboard, 
valuable  cargo.  She  sails  with  little  more  than 
conning  tower  exposed.  This  is  not  a  vulner- 
able spot,  as  the  ship  seals  below  that  watertight. 
Remember  the  plague.  Remember  the  S.  H." 

At  this  point  her  instrument  seemed  gradually 
to  leave  his  tuning,  and  although  her  message 


AMERICAN  PEP  283 

came  to  a  distinct  end  it  seemed  to  have  been 
extinguished  from  the  weight  of  something  in- 
definable to  Dorn.  All  further  attempts  to  raise 
her  during  the  night  were  fruitless.  He  still 
believed  her  to  be  on  the  coast  of  Charleston, 
when  in  reality  she  was  coming  directly  toward 
him,  less  than  twelve  hours  away. 

During  the  day  messages  from  a  station  in 
France  warned  of  the  operations  of  an  enemy 
submarine  as  far  south  as  the  Azores,  where  the 
great  troop  ship  lay,  now  perfectly  helpless, 
but  with  her  three  destroyers,  including  the 
"Adze,"  circling  round  her. 

Just  before  midnight,  to  Dorn's  relief,  Lieu- 
tenant Worth  reported  that  a  British  destroyer 
was  to  take  their  place  in  the  circular  patrol, 
this  leaving  them  free  to  trail  the  "Merb." 

The  next  morning  the  "Adze"  was  anchored 
behind  the  island,  nearest  to  the  point  where 
the  plague-infested  submarine  must  come  to 
get  the  necessary  depth  of  water  to  submerge. 
Dorn  and  Worth  were  stationed  at  the  home  of  a 
British  subject  on  the  highest  part  of  the  island. 
They  were  thus  able  to  get  a  perfect  view  of  the 
sea  approaching  west  and  south.  As  the  first 
rays  of  the  sun  came  from  the  east  behind  them 


284  AMERICAN  PEP 

they  scoured  the  sea  with  glasses  for  the  sight 
of  the  approaching  vessel. 

"I  believe  I  can  see  her!"  Worth  finally  cried 
out  in  excitement. 

"I  see  something,  too,"  shouted  Dorn,  "but 
it  seems  little  more  than  a  disappearing  shadow." 

"Watch  that  shadow,  Dorn.  Can't  you  see 
it  roll  in  the  sea?  As  sure  as  we  live,  it's  the 
sub.  She  is  running  as  low  as  possible.  Can't 
you  make  her  out?" 

"Yes,  I  believe  I  can  see  her!"  cried  Dorn. 
"But  there's  damned  little  to  shoot  at;  she's  all 
but  submerged  now.  What  do  you  propose?" 

Worth  lowered  his  glasses.  He  could  see 
the  dark  spot  now  with  his  naked  eye.  "I 
can  see  but  one  thing  to  do,  Dorn,  and  that  is 
to  run  her  down  if  she  don't  stop  as  expected. 
Then  demand  a  surrender.  She  must  fight  or 
submerge.  Then  we'll  give  her  a  bomb." 

"And  you  know  a  bomb  will  open  her  up  and 
put  us  in  the  clouds,  too,"  reminded  Dorn  gravely. 

"  I  know  it  perfectly,  but  that  cargo  of  explosive 
must  never  leave  this  spot,  even  if  we,  and  the 
sea,  and  these  islands  disappear  in  dust  or  vapor. 
Let's  hurry  aboard.  We  haven't  a  moment  to 
waste." 


AMERICAN  PEP  285 

The  launch  joined  the  "Adze,"  which  raised  her 
anchor  and  came  round  the  little  island  like 
a  greyhound  round  a  bush.  Her  speed  was 
so  great  that  her  tail  wave  was  as  high  as  a 
breaker. 

They  came  in  sight  of  the  "Merb"  as  she  was 
slowing  up  and  had  broken  out  a  hole  to  release 
an  anchor.  The  submarine  instantly  realized  her 
danger.  Like  the  outlaw  she  was,  she  prepared 
to  dive. 

"Better  send  a  shot  over  him,"  said  Worth, 
standing  with  Dorn  just  in  front  of  the  steering 
wheel.  The  signal  was  barely  given  before  a 
shell  went  with  suppressed  screeching  over  the 
German  submarine. 

The  "Merb"  began  to  submerge  out  of  sight. 
The  souls  of  the  watching  men  began  to  sink 
with  it.  They  knew  if  it  dived  destruction  was 
sure  to  come  to  them  all.  But  nothing  daunted, 
the  "Adze  "  rushed  on  to  be  sure  and  cover  the  spot 
so  that  the  German  could  be  successfully  bombed. 

"But,  Good  God!"  cried  Worth,  grabbing 
Dorn's  arm,  "there's  something  wrong  with 
her.  She  can't  dive.  She  is  bringing  out  her 
gun.  Now  we've  got  her.  She'll  have  to  fight 
or  surrender,  and  with  that  pop  gun  she  can 


286  AMERICAN  PEP 

shoot  at  us  all  day  going  at  the  speed  we  go. 
I'm  sure  she  can't  submerge,  or  she  would  before 
this.  And  if  she  has  a  gunner  he  is  surely  crippled 
or  we  would  have  been  dodging  shells.  We  are 
now  within  a  thousand  yards  of  them  and  must 
keep  that  far  off  until  they  speak." 

The  "Adze "  slowed  up  like  a  runabout  with 
brakes  suddenly  applied  and  began  a  careful 
detour,  keeping  a  distance  of  one  thousand  yards. 
They  saw  the  disappearing  gun  rise  from  the 
long,  black  body  of  the  immense  tapering  log. 
The  shell  was  slipped  into  position  with  the 
breech  lock  closed.  The  gunner  took  deliberate 
aim  to  get  their  range.  There  was  a  flash.  The 
man  behind  the  gun  plunged  into  the  sea,  but 
no  shell  came  toward  them. 

"  Great  Heavens,  Dorn,  "  cried  Worth,  "did  you 
see  that?  She  not  only  is  unable  to  submerge, 
but  the  breech  lock  of  the  gun  also  has  failed. 
Don't  you  see!  She  can't  move!  She  is  ours, 
she  is  done  for,  damn  her!  Now,  let's  see  what 
next!" 

He  turned  to  his  gunner.  "Can  you  lift  that 
cannon  they  have  just  raised?  There  may  be 
some  trick." 

"I  think  so." 


AMERICAN  PEP  287 

"Try  it,  but  for  the  life  of  you,  if  you  miss, 
shoot  over  her  and  not  under." 

"We  better  come  to  a  dead  stop,  sir,  to  be  sure," 
the  gunner  suggested. 

Dorn  saw  Worth  give  the  signal  to  come  to 
a  stand.  This  order  was  obeyed  so  effectively 
that  they  retained  their  footing  with  difficulty. 
The  gunner  waited  until  his  aim  was  steady; 
then  his  gun  shouted.  Their  eyes  could  follow 
the  shell  as  it  traveled  true  to  its  mark  and  the 
gun  and  carriage  was  carried  over  its  crowning 
deck. 

"If  that's  the  best  bluff  she  can  put  up," 
grinned  Worth,  "  she  must  be  in  a  pretty  tight 
box." 

"  What  next?  "  said  Dorn.  He  appeared  stoical, 
but  in  reality  his  heart  was  beating  furiously. 

"Perhaps  he  has  another  deuce  in  his  hand," 
said  Worth. 

"Then  he'll  have  to  play  it  mighty  quick." 

"Yes,  there  it  is.  It's  the  white  flag."  They 
all  could  see  it  as  it  began  to  float. 

"Some  trick  as  sure  as  hell,"  exclaimed  Worth, 
but  his  face  changed  as  a  weakly  sailor  came  to 
the  side  and  affixed  the  sign  that  all  must  regard, 
the  yellow  flag  of  the  dreaded  plague. 


Chapter  Twenty-eight 


STILL,  I  BELIEVE  HE'S  GETTING 
ready  to  trick  us,"  declared  Worth  as 
they  watched  the  yellow  signal.  "There 
he  goes  forward  to  drop  his  anchor.  Now,  what 
next?" 

"I  believe  he  may  sink  her  after  he  gets  off 
in  the  boat.  As  a  merchant  ship,  not  a  navy 
vessel,  his  owner  is  insured  and  will  be  paid  in 
case  of  capture,  as  well  as  if  sunk." 

"But  there  are  German  spies  on  board." 

"Yes,  if  they  haven't  gone  with  the  plague. 
It's  an  oil-burning  craft  and  her  whole  crew 
didn't  total  more  than  twenty  men.  Half  of 
them -are  dead  and  those  who  are  living  believe 
it  is  only  a  matter  of  tune,  anyhow.  They 
might  as  well  go  one  way  as  another." 

"Yes,  Dorn,"  commented  Worth,  "but  I  have 
seen  snakes  strike  a  fatal  blow  with  their  last 
wriggle.  He  won't  use  the  explosive  unless 


AMERICAN  PEP  289 

he  wants  to  commit  suicide,  but  we  must  have 
some  one  on  board  that  craft  soon." 

"It  should  be  an  engineer,"  suggested  Dorn, 
"who  can  disconnect  both  the  engine  and  the 
pump  that  supplies  the  boilers.  What  would 
happen  if  you  asked  for  volunteers  among  your 
men?" 

"Let's  try  and  see,"  smiled  Worth,  as  if  sure 
of  the  result.  He  had  the  engine  room  men 
called  forward  outside  the  wireless  room. 

"Men,"  he  began,  "some  one  must  go  aboard 
that  German  sub  and  disconnect  her  engines 
and  pumps.  She  is  loaded  with  valuable  cargo. 
Your  interest  in  the  prize  will  be  big,  likely  very 
big,  if  no  mistake  is  made.  She  also  has  fifty 
tons  of  explosive  aboard  that  even  at  this  dis- 
tance would  put  us  out  of  business  if  it  was  let 
off.  In  addition  to  that  it  is  a  plague  ship.  More 
than  half  its  crew  have  died  with  yellow  fever 
within  the  last  four  days.  Whoever  goes  aboard 
should  be  able  to  wigwag  information.  He 
must  stay  there  or  be  isolated  in  quarantine  for 
at  least  ten  days.  It  is  a  risky  undertaking,  con- 
sider well.  I  am  asking  for  volunteers." 

Every  hand  went  up. 

"All    right!    Fine!    Patchen,    you    go.     Get 


290  AMERICAN  PEP 

everything  together  and  a  boat  over  the  side  as 
soon  as  possible,  and  come  to  me  for  final  in- 
structions. You  must  take  food,  water,  and 
extra  clothing!  Eat  or  drink  nothing  found 
there." 

As  the  man  went  to  obey  orders  Worth  turned 
to  Dorn.  "He  is  a  fireman  but  should  be  an 
engineer.  I  can't  spare  engineers.  Our  work 
ahead  is  too  important.  But  we  will  soon  know 
what's  inside  her." 

In  a  few  moments  Patchen  left  the  destroyer 
and  approached  the  plague-ridden  submarine 
without  hindrance. 

"  I  told  him  to  signal  as  soon  as  he  had  a  chance 
to  look  around,"  explained  Worth.  They  watched 
every  sign  with  their  glasses.  "Here's  where  I 
get  ahead  of  you.  I  can't  read  that  jolty  stuff 
you  got  down  there  in  your  place,  but  I  can  read 
this."  He  jerked  his  head  toward  Patchen,  who 
now  appeared  on  the  crown  of  the  "Merb"  and 
commenced  to  wigwag  his  message  with  flags. 

"No  resistance,"  Worth  began  to  read  aloud; 
"four  in  bed  recovering  from  fever.  Two  ex- 
hausted from  overwork.  Three  in  officers' 
quarters, — Captain  Hans,  Malvoney,  and  Mark 
Whaley." 


AMERICAN  PEP  291 

Dorn  stiffened  at  the  thought  that  Malvoney 
and  his  dupe  were  now  in  his  hands. 

Patchen  was  still  signalling.  "Big  cargo  of 
zink,  copper,  and  rubber,  also  explosive." 

"  Hurrah ! "  shouted  Worth.  "  Some  prize  that ! 
Wouldn't  it  be  a  good  idea  to  work  it  down  about 
three  miles?  There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  our 
title  to  the  prize  now.  If  we  can  get  it  down 
under  that  Portuguese  fort  they  would  protect 
it  until  it  could  be  removed,  in  case  we  had  to 
leave." 

"  Fine  idea ! "  approved  Dorn.    "  Let's  try  that." 

Instructions  were  wigwagged   to  Patchen. 

In  a  short  time  the  "  Merb "  slowly  raised  her 
anchor  to  the  water  line  and  slowly  followed  the 
"Adze"  along  the  south  side  of  the  island  to  a 
little  bay  of  deep  and  well-protected  water,  under 
an  antiquated  fort  and  a  garrison.  The  "Merb" 
was  now  so  close  to  the  shore  that  shortest-range 
guns  from  the  fort  could  reach  her.  There  were 
only  sixteen  feet  of  water  in  low  tide,  and  if  the 
Huns  were  able  to  scuttle  her,  the  cargo  would 
not  suffer  much. 

On  the  way  down  Dorn  managed  to  raise  the 
garrison  by  wireless.  He  told  them  that  they 
were  bringing  in  a  German  prize  with  plague 


292  AMERICAN  PEP 

aboard  and  asked  the  protection  of  the  fort. 
He  received  immediate  assurance  that  guns 
would  be  trained  on  the  submarine  and  that  it 
would  be  carefully  watched  that  none  left  it  to 
carry  the  disease. 

The  "Adze"  then  took  a  position  two  thousand 
feet  away  and  anchored. 

In  about  an  hour  Patchen  again  signalled  that 
he  had  disconnected  the  pump  and  engines  and 
would  bring  the  parts  to  a  nearby  barren  coral 
island  just  sticking  above  the  water,  where  they 
could  get  them  after  he  left  them  fumigated  to 
prevent  possible  infection. 

"I  knew  that  boy  had  horse  sense,"  declared 
Worth.  "He  figured  that  they  might  try  to 
overpower  him,  replace  the  parts,  and  try  to  get 
away." 

"We  better  report  details  to  Washington," 
said  Dorn. 

"Have  you  juice  enough  for  that?" 

"I  think  so.  You  go  get  your  message  into 
cipher  and  I  will  see  if  the  engineer  can  give  me 
extra  current  while  we  are  at  anchor." 

It  took  two  hours  to  get  the  report  to  Wash- 
ington with  a  request  for  instructions.  After 
another  hour  came  back  brief  orders. 


AMERICAN  PEP  293 

"Complete  convoy  to  France,"  Dorn  read, 
"thence  to  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  discover  and  destroy 
station.  Have  crew  of  "Merb"  brought  to  Atlantic 
port.  Leaders  treated  as  spies." 

Worth  grabbed  Dorn's  hand  and  shook  it. 
"Lucky  was  the  day  that  threw  us  together," 
he  exclaimed.  "I  felt  from  the  start  that  you 
were  a  mascot.  We  have  won  hands  down. 
She  is  at  anchor  all  whole,  under  the  guns  of 
the  fort,  and  her  machinery  parted  so  she  can't 
move." 

Dorn  did  not  reply  at  once.  His  thoughts 
were  reaching  out  toward  an  illicit  wireless  sta- 
tion at  Charleston.  As  soon  as  the  enthusiastic 
lieutenant  had  left  him  he  began  to  call,  hoping 
to  reach  Betty.  His  efforts  were  fruitless,  because 
she  was  less  than  two  thousand  feet  away,  but 
with  engines  dead,  making  her  wireless  mute. 

Shortly  after  noon  Patchen  wigwagged  that 
he  was  taking  a  letter  to  the  rock  island  where 
he  had  left  the  engine  parts  and  asked  them  to 
send  for  it.  After  getting  the  paper  carefully 
fumigated  Dorn  and  Lieutenant  Worth  examined 
it  with  interest. 

"Was  afraid  to  wigwag,"  wrote  Patchen,  "as 
I  think  Malvoney  may  be  able  to  read  the  signs. 


294  AMERICAN  PEP 

He  and  the  captain  spend  their  time  together  in 
the  officers'  quarters.  Believe  officers  and  Mal- 
voney  are  planning  to  escape  in  my  boat  along- 
side. A  sailor  is  acting  as  first  officer;  the  rest 
died  of  fever.  Some  of  the  crew  evidently 
burned  the  submerging  valve  stem  off  with  acid, 
and  in  the  same  way  put  out  the  breech  lock  of 
the  gun.  That  was  why  she  couldn't  submerge 
or  fire.  Send  written  instructions,  as  I  can't 
prevent  Malvoney  from  reading  signs." 

"That's  pretty  good  for  a  fireman,  isn't  it?" 
approved  Worth.  "I'll  have  to  get  that  man 
promoted  sure,  if  he  gets  safe  out  of  this.  Do 
you  think  he  has  it  sized  up  right  and  that  Mal- 
voney means  to  try  to  escape?" 

"If  he  does  he'll  get  into  something  worse. " 

"Yes,  this  is  a  Portuguese  possession,"  com- 
mented Worth,  "and  I  have  heard  they  have 
adopted  a  real  live-wire,  snappy  method  of 
getting  rid  of  their  prisoners  and  spies,  giving 
their  government  always  the  benefit  of  the 
doubt." 

"But  these  fellows  have  an  agent  there,  or  they 
wouldn't  risk  it." 

"Yes,  and  if  they  get  to  land  maybe  they'll 
manage  to  escape;  yet  I  doubt  it." 


AMERICAN  PEP  295 

"Your  idea,  then,  is  that  if  they  want  to 
escape  to  let  them." 

"I  think  we'd  feel  safer  about  that  sub  and  her 
cargo  if  those  snakes  were  off.  We  can't  take 
them  aboard  here  and  we  can't  ask  the  Portu- 
guese to  allow  us  to  land  them,  on  account  of 
the  plague.  But  if  they  escaped  —  well  —  that 
would  make  a  big  difference  in  the  reception 
they  would  get  if  discovered.  They  would  be 
plain  spies  from  a  plague  ship." 

"But  I'd  like  to  get  two  of  these  snakes  back 
into  the  mountains,"  protested  Dorn. 

"If  you  had  them  back  in  the  States  and 
had  them  convicted,  what  would  they  get  under 
the  law  as  we  now  run  it?  Two  or  three  years 
in  the  Pen  and  a  small  fine." 

"But  suppose  they  get  ashore  with  the  help 
of  a  confederate  and  finally  get  away?" 

"Let's  consider  how  it  does  really  look," 
figured  Worth.  "First,  they  will  not  attempt 
anything  until  after  dark,  because  they  know 
that  the  guns  of  the  fort  as  well  as  our  own  are 
trained  upon  them  every  minute.  Now,  sup- 
pose Patchen  gets  busy  down  below  and  lets 
them  escape  after  dark,  don't  you  know  that  with 
our  new  device  we  can  hear  the  first  step  they 


296  AMERICAN  PEP 

take  into  the  boat  as  distinctly  as  if  they  were 
right  beneath  us?  And  more,  you  have  the 
wireless  communication  with  the  garrison.  You 
could  advise  them  they  were  escaping,  and  in 
what  direction.  And,  Dorn,  I  am  willing  to 
admit  I  really  like  the  way  the  Portuguese 
handle  spies  and  alien  enemies.  Of  course,  if 
they  stay  aboard  until  they  die  or  get  the  plague 
out  of  their  clothes,  then  it  is  up  to  Uncle  Sam." 

At  this  moment  Dorn  held  up  his  hand  to 
stay  the  lieutenant's  speech  while  he  copied 
from  the  wireless  that  began  to  operate  from  a 
powerful  sending  station.  "Halifax  is  working 
with  the  Irish  station,"  he  explained  under  his 
breath,  "and  is  relaying  a  Washington  message 
from  the  state  department  to  London."  He 
took  the  message  down  in  code. 

"Worth,"  he  cried  out,  after  studying  his  code 
book,  "you  —  we  —  are  famous  men.  The  cap- 
ture of  this  sub  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  important 
occurrences  of  the  war.  Our  names  will  appear 
at  the  head  of  the  column  in  every  newspaper 
in  the  United  States  and  allied  countries." 

"I  knew  it,"  cried  Worth.  "I  knew  when 
you  came  aboard  you  were  a  mascot.  Haven't 
I  said  so,  right  along!  And  that  prize,  my 


AMERICAN  PEP  297 

boy,  you  and  I  and  the  crew  get  it  all.  I  bet  it'll 
be  a  whopping  big  one,  too." 

Dorn  suddenly  became  sober.  "Yet,  Lieu- 
tenant Worth,"  he  reminded,  "but  little  credit 
really  is  ours.  The  credit  of  this  capture  belongs 
to  the  source  of  our  information.  We  couldn't 
have  found  her,  or  known  of  her  existence,  with- 
out that." 

"That's  so,"  considered  Worth.  "But  you've 
been  pretty  tight  about  that  source  of  informa- 
tion. I  began  to  think  it  was  something  you 
wanted  to  keep  to  yourself." 

"I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  my  in- 
formation leading  to  the  capture  of  this  boat  was 
sent  me  from  an  illicit  station  at  Charleston, 
by  an  operator  who  went  there  with  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Government,  and  for  patriotic  pur- 
poses. That  operator  is  a  young  woman,  Betty 
Fraser,  with  whom  I  worked  closely  hi  the  moun- 
tains." 

"Wonderful,  wonderful!"  cried  Worth.  "She 
shall  share  with  us  both  the  honor  and  the  prize." 
He  rose  to  reach  across  the  table  and  grip  Dorn's 
hand.  "A  romance,  as  I  live!  That  crowns 
the  whole  thing  with  added  glory  for  me."  He 
laughed  like  a  boy. 


298  AMERICAN  PEP 

"But,"  broke  in  Dorn,  "I  am  disturbed  by 
another  bit  of  information  I  caught  on  the  wire- 
less. It  is  added  that  the  illicit  station  at  Charles- 
ton had  no  operator  when  it  was  discovered  and 
destroyed  by  the  Government.  Something  may 
have  happened  to  Miss  Fraser." 

"She  undoubtedly  had  ample  protection  and 
credentials,"  soothed  Worth,  "and  will  report 
as  soon  as  she  can,  fully.  I've  got  to  go  now 
and  take  some  observations,  but  will  be  back 
before  long."  He  rose  and  backed  out  of  the 
narrow  door. 

That  evening  Dorn  sat  with  Worth  at  the 
instruments  listening  for  any  movement  of  the 
submarine.  The  water  on  that  side  of  the  is- 
land was  calm  as  a  pond.  The  gunners  changed 
watch  and  stood  faithfully  by.  The  powerful 
searchlight  of  the  "Adze"  was  tested  and  right. 

An  hour  passed  and  both  Dorn  and  Lieutenant 
Worth  wondered  if  Patchen  had  been  right  in 
his  suspicions  that  Malvoney  intended  to  escape. 
Dorn  left  the  wireless  room  and  went  to  the 
table  where  the  audophone  or  detector  was  in- 
stalled. He  signalled  for  Worth  to  listen  at  the 
additional  receiver.  They  stood  motionless  for 
a  while,  then  suddenly  Dorn  raised  his  hand. 


AMERICAN  PEP  299 

"They've  started,"  he  cried;  "they  are  cau- 
tiously putting  baggage,  or  something,  into  a 
boat."  Their  movements  were  as  audible  as 
though  only  a  few  feet  away.  "Now  they  are 
getting  in  the  boat  themselves.  There  are  three 
of  them." 

They  could  hear  them  shove  the  boat  carefully 
away  from  the  submarine  and  adjust  the  oars 
in  the  locks.  They  began  to  row  with  extreme 
caution,  but  as  they  got  some  distance  from 
the  submarine  "Merb"  they  commenced  to  row 
swiftly. 

Dorn  ran  to  his  instrument,  called  the  garrison, 
and  gave  them  the  information;  then  returned  to 
listen. 

The  escaping  boat  finally  was  heard  to  grind 
its  keel  in  the  gravel  of  the  abrupt  bottom  of 
the  shore,  where  they  cautiously  approached. 
They  evidently  were  handing  out  the  bags  they 
seemed  loath  to  leave  behind,  though  safety 
would  have  dictated  otherwise.  Then,  as  the 
third  man  stepped  out  of  the  boat  and  gave  it  a 
shove  back  into  the  water,  the  powerful  search- 
light of  the  "Adze"  broke  out  and  fell  on  the  three 
escaping  men.  Its  glare  blinded  them  and  they 
protected  their  eyes  with  their  hands.  The 


300  AMERICAN  PEP 

rifles  of  the  Portuguese  soldiers  were  pointed  at 
them.  The  searchlight  followed  them  until  they 
entered  an  old  adobe  building  used  as  an  isolation 
quarters  or  quarantine. 

"Now,  by  Heaven,  Dorn,"  said  Worth,  "there 
is  nothing  left  on  our  prize  but  Patchen  and  the 
sick  sailors." 

In  an  other  hour  the  garrison  called  Dorn  to 
inform  them  that  a  drumhead  court  was  in  ses- 
sion, trying  the  three  German  spies.  They 
wanted  to  know  if  any  one  there  could  identify 
the  leader.  Dorn  replied  that  he  could. 

"Is  there  any  one  there  who  can  administer 
the  oath  to  you?  " 

"I'll  see,"  Dorn  replied  and  telephoned  Worth 
to  come  to  his  room. 

"Can  you  administer  an  oath  to  me?"  he 
asked.  "A  court  is  already  in  session  trying 
the  German  spies." 

Worth's  face  was  illuminated.  "That's  what  I 
call  decent  kind  of  service,"  he  approved.  "Sure, 
I  have  power  to  administer  the  oath.  Tell  'em 
so,  and  get  it  over  quickly." 

Dorn  informed  the  garrison  operator  that 
he  could  take  oath  from  his  officer  in  command 
and  the  formality  was  carried  out. 


AMERICAN  PEP  301 

"Describe  the  leader,"  came  from  the  garrison. 

"About  five  feet  eight,  heavy  girth,  no  beard 
when  last  seen.  Swarthy,  with  a  wound  or  fresh 
scar  in  the  center  of  his  forehead." 

"You  believe  him  to  be  a  German  spy?  His 
right  name  as  shown  by  his  papers  is  Von  Spiel." 

"Yes." 

"The  judge  advocate  wishes  to  thank  you, 
and  will  not  trouble  you  farther.  Having  made 
sure  of  the  leader's  identity,  he  finds  plenty  of 
evidence  to  convict  the  other  two." 

"Now  you  watch  what  will  happen,"  said 
Worth  enthusiastically.  "They  sure  have  horse 
sense  here.  They  don't  want  any  more  snakes 
on  their  island." 

Dorn  listened  while  the  garrison  operator  called 
to  give  him  a  short  message  which  he  wrote 
carefully.  He  handed  the  paper  gravely  to 
Lieutenant  Worth. 

"Prisoners  guilty,"  was  the  verdict.  "Sen- 
tenced to  be  shot  at  sunrise." 


Chapter  Twenty -nine 


WELL,  AT  LEAST  TWO  CLOCKS 
that  have  been  ticking  bad  time  for 
us  will  stop  this  morning,"  said  Worth. 
"This  is  just  what  should  happen  at  home,  and 
if  the  war  continues,  must  happen  of  necessity." 

"I  guess  you're  right."  Dorn  stretched  him- 
self backward  hi  his  chair,  clasping  his  hands 
together  on  his  head. 

"Excuse  me  if  I  digress,"  laughed  Worth, 
"but  with  your  wings  spread  like  that  and  with 
the  grimness  of  your  soul,  you  remind  me  of  our 
national  emblem." 

Dorn  laughed  boyishly.  "Your  remark  takes 
me  back  twenty-five  years  or  so;  my  West  Vir- 
ginian nickname  was  '  Eagle  Bill ' ;  I  expect  it  was 
given  me  because  of  my  nosepiece." 

"But  to  return  to  more  unpleasant  subjects," 
said  Worth.  "These  people  who  know  Germans 
better  than  we  do  show  us  speed  and  efficiency 


AMERICAN  PEP  303 

in  trying  spies  we  can  well  copy.  No  foolish 
sentiment,  they  get  rid  of  them  quick." 

"That  Malvoney  deserved  death  I  will  agree," 
said  Dorn,  "but  that  Whaley,  merely  a  weak 
rummy  dupe  for  Malvoney,  should  be  shot,  is 
still  a  question.  And  so  far  as  we  know  this 
captain  may  not  have  done  anything  more  serious 
than  obey  Malvoney's  orders,  but  landing  as  they 
did  on  the  grounds  of  a  fort  settles  it.  I  tell 
you,  Worth,  there  is  a  great  chance  for  injustice 
in  these  midnight  procedures." 

"Innocent  people  will  sometimes  suffer,  but 
what  is  one  life  or  a  dozen,  if  by  being  martyred 
they  save  the  lives  of  millions  of  fighting  men 
who  in  the  last  analysis  are  martyrs  too?" 

"Yet,"  insisted  Dorn  gravely,  "I  feel  I  would 
like  to  prevent  the  execution.  I  am  not  hardened 
yet,  also  a  further  unpleasant  duty  I  have 
concluded  I  must  perform." 

"What's  that?"  quickly  asked  Worth. 

"I  want  the  personal  effects  of  those  men,  if 
they  will  let  us  have  them.  I  am  hoping  they 
will  reveal  the  location  of  the  submarine  base, 
and  that  they  also  will  unravel  the  mystery  of 
the  disappearance  of  the  explosive  from  the 
mountain  mill." 


304  AMERICAN  PEP 

"But  how  about  the  chances  of  infection  of 
our  crew  by  bringing  that  stuff  aboard  here?" 

"Haven't  you  a  small  room  where  we  can 
fumigate  thoroughly  before  handling?  We  must 
have  that  baggage  if  it  is  possible  to  coax  it  from 
the  garrison  and  make  it  fairly  safe." 

"Yes,  we've  got  a  place  and  a  dope  that  will 
make  it  perfectly  safe  to  handle.  Yet  even  if  it 
didn't,  we  are  in  the  game  of  war  where  grave 
risks  greet  us  every  minute.  Go  ahead  and  get 
it  if  you  can.  By  the  way,  don't  forget  our 
wireless;  the  transport  is  having  better  luck, 
and  might  be  able  to  get  away  tomorrow  morn- 
ing," he  added  as  he  rose  and  approached  the 
door. 

"  I  am  glad  of  it,"  said  Dorn.  As  the  Lieutenant 
left  the  room  he  reached  for  his  key  and  called 
the  garrison.  They  were  alert  and  replied  at 
once.  He  made  his  request  and  received  the 
immediate  reply  as  translated  by  the  garrison 
operator. 

"The  judge  advocate  and  commandant  are 
sorry  that  you  have  been  obliged  to  request  this 
baggage,  which  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  priests 
who  are  attending  the  condemned  men.  We 
recognize  its  great  value  to  you  and  were  prepared 


AMERICAN  PEP  305 

to  send  it  to  you,  but  other  details  have  pre- 
vented. We  will  do  so  at  once.  Again  we  ask 
your  pardon." 

Dorn  went  out  and  began  a  pace  of  the  narrow 
deck  that  lasted  for  hours.  The  semitropical 
air  was  a  delight  to  his  lungs.  About  the  garrison 
he  saw  lights  moving  swiftly,  foretelling  the 
tragedy  that  was  about  to  take  place.  At  the 
first  approach  of  dawn  he  could  hear  a  boat 
approaching,  doubtless  with  the  baggage  re- 
ferred to.  He  previously  had  made  sure  that  the 
sealed  apartment  to  be  used  for  fumigating  was 
ready  to  receive  the  bags.  Dorn  watched  the 
approaching  boat  and  now  could  plainly  see  the 
suitcases  and  bags.  Each  was  bound  with  heavy 
cord  and  sealed  with  the  stamp  of  the  Portuguese 
Government. 

Worth  was  asleep. 

Dorn  called  a  wardroom  boy  and  gave  careful 
directions.  "Put  it  away  at  once,"  he  ordered, 
"and  be  sure  you  wash  your  hands  hi  germicide 
when  you  are  through." 

Dismissing  that  as  settled  for  a  time  he  began 
again  to  pace  the  deck,  going  into  the  wireless 
room  frequently  to  see  if  there  were  any  new 
messages. 


3o6  AMERICAN  PEP 

Daylight  was  quite  distinct  when  he  went  to 
his  instrument  and  found  that  the  transport's 
operator  was  calling.  He  gave  Dorn  the  infor- 
mation that  they  would  be  able  to  sail  in  two 
hours  and  directed  him  to  rejoin  the  convoy. 
Dorn  called  Worth  on  the  telephone  and  repeated 
the  message,  then  started  back  on  deck  into  the 
morning  air  that  invigorated  him  after  a  restless 
sleepless  night.  Just  as  he  came  on  deck  he 
heard  a  rifle  volley  boom  over  the  garrison.  He 
started  and  stood  still,  then  another  volley  came 
across  the  water  with  a  distinctness  that  made  his 
own  heart  flinch.  As  he  resumed  his  pacing  the 
third  volley  resounded.  Dorn  knew  that  the 
Republic  of  Portugal  had  performed  what  it 
believed  to  be  its  duty  to  themselves  and  the 
Allies. 

Soon  Worth  came  on  deck  to  read  a  letter  of 
Instructions  to  Patchen,  advising  him  what  he 
must  do  on  board  the  "Merb"  until  they  could 
send  further  orders.  He  left  this  on  the  rock. 
A  short  time  after  sunrise  their  anchor  came  to 
the  water's  edge  as  they  got  underway.  The 
"Adze"  responded  to  her  powerful  engines  with 
precision  and  majesty  and  proceeded  to  take  her 
place  at  the  head  of  the  diamond-shaped  convoy. 


AMERICAN  PEP  307 

Every  eye  was  now  alert  for  submarines  as 
they  headed  for  the  coast  of  France  into  the  most 
dangerous  zone  in  the  Atlantic.  Lookout  watches 
were  doubled  and  every  officer  not  asleep  was 
scanning  the  sea  first  with  glass  and  then  with 
naked  eye  for  those  scorpions  that  would  sting 
to  death  the  ten  thousand  fighting  men  in  the 
mass  of  steel  bowling  over  thirty  miles  an  hour 
behind  them. 

When  the  convoy  had  setted  down  to  a  routine 
Dorn  went  to  bed  and  slept  a  few  hours,  all  that 
was  allowed  anyone  while  passing  through  the 
submarine  infested  zone.  When  he  awoke  he 
believed  it  now  would  be  safe  to  investigate  the 
baggage  of  Malvoney  and  his  executed  con- 
federates. He  was  eager  to  wring  from  it  the 
secrets  of  the  German  snakes. 

He  waited  impatiently  for  the  boy  to  bring 
the  suitcases  to  him  and  settled  down  to  examine 
each  detail  carefully.  The  first  bag  he  opened 
proved  to  be  Whaley's.  He  broke  the  seals, 
but  it  contained  nothing  to  attract  his  attention. 
The  next  case  he  opened  evidently  had  belonged 
to  the  captain.  The  smallest  detail  was  ex- 
amined. He  wanted  to  locate  the  place  where 
the  cargo  was  taken  on  board  and  if  possible  to 


3o8  AMERICAN  PEP 

find  information  concerning  the  submarine  base. 
He  found  important  looking  documents,  but  they 
were  written  in  German.  These  he  put  to  one 
side  for  further  interpretation.  Nothing  else 
brought  any  light  upon  his  problem.  He  care- 
fully restored  the  contents,  intending  to  go  over 
it  all  again  with  Lieutenant  Worth  later. 

The  next  piece  nearest  his  hand  was  a  substan- 
tial twenty-four  inch  suitcase  which  was  un- 
doubtedly of  American  make.  When  he  finally 
released  the  lid  and  the  case  lay  open  before  him 
he  felt  as  though  struck  by  the  fearful  explosion 
of  a  torpedo.  His  heart  leaped,  then  sank  with 
a  fearful  apprehension. 

"My  God!"  he  cried,  "this  is  Betty  Eraser's 
bag,  her  clothes,  her  papers!"  With  shaking 
hand  he  lifted  one  after  another  of  the  well  re- 
membered things.  Then  with  a  choking  breath 
and  a  pain  in  his  heart  like  a  dagger  thrust  he 
lifted  the  great  braid  of  brown  hair. 

The  ghastly  truth  came  to  him  with  staggering 
force.  She  had  been  dressed  as  a  sailor  on 
board  that  plague  ship  and  had  been  forced 
to  leave  with  Malvoney  and  Captain  Hans. 
And  one  of  the  shots  he  heard  that  morning  had 
sent  lead  into  her  heart.  She  was  dead  —  dead 


AMERICAN  PEP  309 

mostly  through  his  own  activity,  dead  a  martyr  to 
her  country.  He  grasped  his  head  with  both 
hands  and  tried  to  figure  it  out.  She  had  not 
been  at  Charleston  after  that  first  day,  then. 
She  had  been  on  board  that  German  submarine, 
signalling  him  from  hell.  He  blamed  himself 
over  and  over.  Surely  he  should  have  known, 
he  should  have  realized  she  was  the  kind  of  girl 
who  would  take  a  chance  like  that,  and  leave  him 
in  ignorance  of  her  peril. 

Here  was  all  the  evidence  he  needed  that  she 
had  been  executed,  hastily,  without  evidence  or 
proof  of  her  guilt.  He  understood  now  why  his 
heart  had  burned  in  rebellion  at  the  hasty  action, 
why  he  had  recoiled  when  he  heard  the  shot. 
Surely  Betty's  plea  had  been  going  out  to  him 
across  the  space,  and  he  had  not  lifted  a  finger. 

His  body  and  brain  seemed  to  take  fire  with 
the  unbearable  agony  of  his  self -conviction.  He 
rushed  to  the  end  of  his  narrow  room  and  flung 
open  the  ventilator.  He  fell  into  his  chair  half 
unconscious,  unmindful  of  the  persistent  call  of 
his  wireless  and  of  Lieutenant  Worth's  repeated 
signal  on  the  telephone.  In  weakness  he  leaned 
his  weight  on  the  table,  his  soul  consumed  with 
agony  and  remorse. 


3io  AMERICAN  PEP 

It  was  thus  that  Worth  found  him  an  hour 
later.  The  Lieutenant's  eyes  took  in  the  situ- 
ation at  a  glance.  His  gaze  darted  from  the  open 
bag  to  the  woman's  clothes  and  the  brown  braid 
lying  pathetically  across  Dorn's  knees.  Instantly 
he  realized  the  truth. 

His  hand  went  to  Dorn's  shoulder  and  his 
voice  was  low.  "What  have  you  found,  old 
man  ? "  he  said  gently,  "tell  me." 

Dorn  staggered  to  his  feet,  holding  the  long 
braid  in  his  trembling  hands.  He  went  forward 
to  where  the  blast  of  fresh  air  was  rushing  in 
through  the  window. 

"I  don't  believe  I  can  tell  you,"  he  cried  out, 
"for  I  can  hardly  tell  myself.  It  seems  like  a 
horrible  dream.  It  can't  be  true.  But  here  are 
Betty  Eraser's  clothes,  her  letters,  her  diary,  her 
hair.  While  I  thought  her  safe  in  Charleston 
she  was  undergoing  unutterable  things  on  that 
plague  ship.  Oh,  we  shouldn't  have  let  her 
come.  She  shouldn't  have  touched  this  devilish 
business.  She  was  shot  as  a  spy  with  those 
damned  snakes,  she  —  the  squarest  woman  God 
ever  made!"  His  voice  broke  and  he  paced  up 
and  down  the  narrow  room.  Worth  stood  silent, 


AMERICAN  PEP  311 

unable  to  check  or  even  to  comprehend  Dorn's 
passion  of  grief. 

"But  a  thing  like  that  couldn't  be  true,  Worth," 
he  went  on  helplessly,  "it  just  couldn't."  His 
eyes  were  closed  tightly  as  if  to  blind  himself 
from  the  truth.  "Yet  we  saw  her  go,  we  heard 
her  shot,  and  here  is  her  bag."  Then  he  broke 
off  with  a  sudden  conviction.  "I've  got  to  go 
back,  Worth.  I've  got  to  know  how  it  hap- 
pened. I  can't  go  on  and  leave  even  her  body 
there,  the  body  I  ordered  shot." 

"Dorn,  old  man,"  reminded  Worth  gently, 
"pull  yourself  together.  You  are  talking  wildly. 
You  know  that  we  can't  go  back.  We're  under 
strict  orders,  you  and  I  both.  We  have  definite 
instructions  to  find  that  submarine  base  as  soon 
as  we  leave  France.  Our  course  will  take  us  far 
from  the  Azores.  Why,  we,  too,  would  deserve 
to  be  shot,  if  we  did  a  thing  like  'that  at  such 
a  time  as  this.  We  are  sailing  under  orders. 
Think  man!  And,"  he  added,  with  his  voice 
lowered,  "wouldn't  she  want  you  to  go  forward, 
just  as  she  did,  with  all  that  was  in -you,  right 
to  the  end?  Would  she  want  you  to  go  back, 
to  undo  all  that  she  died  for?" 


3i2  AMERICAN  PEP 

At  his  words  Dorn's  madness  left  him. 

"Thanks!"  he  said  simply,  "that  was  what  I 
needed.  Yes,  she  would  want  me  to  go  on. 
But  some  day,  as  soon  as  I  am  free,  I  am  going 
back  to  mark  the  place  where  they  shot  her. 
She  was  one  of  America's  bravest  soldiers." 
His  voice  broke  utterly  and  he  turned  away. 


Chapter   Thirty 


TWO  DAYS  LATER  THE  "ADZE"  WAS 
lying  in  the  rode  off  the  city  of  Brest, 
France.  The  great  transport  was  send- 
ing a  brown  line  of  khaki  onto  the  soil  of  France. 

Dorn  was  pacing  the  narrow  deck  in  a  moody 
sense  of  defeat  that  he  could  not  shake  off.  He 
had  won  gloriously  yet  he  felt  only  loss.  He 
realized  how  much  he  had  been  fighting  for  Betty 
and  how  little  for  himself.  He  had  done  his  best 
to  investigate  her  death  by  wireless  and  to  have 
Washington  gather  details.  But  he  was  forced 
to  realize  that  to  them  she  was  just  one  atom, 
one  little  pawn  in  the  game  of  war,  while  to  him 
she  had  been  the  entire  battle.  He  determined 
the  moment  his  hands  were  untied  he  would 
ferret  out  the  tragedy  to  its  last  detail. 

Just  beyond  them  was  the  fort,  with  its  de- 
pressing evidence  that  carnage  and  lust  was  being 
resisted  to  the  last  notch  of  their  strength. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  "Adze"  was  lashed  a 


314  AMERICAN  PEP 

tank  boat  pumping  fuel  oil  with  nervous  haste 
through  a  hose  until  every  gallon  of  the  "Adze's" 
capacity  was  filled. 

When  that  was  done  their  orders  to  search  for 
the  submarine  base  would  take  them  to  the  south 
coast  of  France  and  Spain,  then  to  the  Canary 
Islands  and  Madeira.  Dorn  was  restless  under 
this  enforced  search.  He  was  eager  to  get  back 
to  the  Azores.  Although  he  realized  the  futility 
of  his  longing,  he  had  an  almost  morbid  desire 
to  visit  the  spot  where  Betty  had  been  buried. 

A  launch  came  alongside  the  tank  boat.  This 
fact  did  not  interest  Dorn  until  in  glancing  casu- 
ally to  her  decks  he  saw  a  broad,  familiar  back. 
The  newcomer  wheeled  suddenly  and  looked 
squarely  into  Dorn's  face.  Then  he  darted  for- 
ward and  came  on  board  the  "Adze." 

"Lieutenant  Pettingill!"  Dorn  cried  out  eagerly. 

"A  Lieutenant,  yourself,  Dorn,  as  I  live!" 
exclaimed  Pettingill.  "I  cannot  tell  you  how 
delighted  I  am  to  see  you,  and  how  anxious  I 
am  to  know  all  that  has  happened  since  I  left 
you  looking  so  forlorn  at  Hampton  Roads.  It 
was  a  wrench  for  me  to  leave  you  then,  my 
friend." 

"I  had  no  idea  you  were  here,"  said  Dorn. 


AMERICAN  PEP  315 

"And  I  also  had  no  idea  you  were  within  three 
thousand  miles,  yet  I  have  been  thinking  of  you 
almost  constantly  ever  since  I  received  an  order 
yesterday  to  come  to  the  'Adze'  for  vital  infor- 
mation concerning  fifty  tons  of  S.  H.  I  am  then 
to  go  to  the  Azores  to  work  the  cargo  submarine, 
with  its  prize  contents,  back  to  an  American 
port." 

"I  wonder  if  you  know,"  Dorn  informed  him 
soberly,  "that  those  are  the  same  fifty  tons  of 
S.  H.  we  thought  we  were  sleeping  with.  Of 
course  you've  had  no  chance  to  get  details. 
Come  inside,  out  of  the  sun,  and  I'll  tell  you 
about  it." 

It  took  Dorn  more  than  an  hour  to  relate  all 
that  had  happened  to  his  old  friend.  When  he 
came  to  his  account  of  Betty's  death  his  voice 
shook,  and  it  was  only  with  supreme  effort  that 
he  could  go  on.  Pettingill  understood  more  than 
he  was  told,  for  he  had  realized  in  the  mountains 
the  closeness  of  Dorn's  comradeship  with  the  girl. 
His  hand  was  on  Dorn's  shoulder  and  his  eyes 
were  moist. 

"She  was  a  brave  girl,"  he  said  in  a  low  tone, 
"and  we  must  remember  that  she  accomplished 
a  brave  work."  Then  he  shifted  to  less  harrowing 


316  AMERICAN  PEP 

details.  "But  you  have  not  made  it  plain  what 
became  of  Whaley.  Is  that  dog  still  on  board 
the  submarine  for  me  to  deal  with?  I  almost 
hope  he  is,  I'd  enjoy  it." 

"No.  A  more  careful  examination  of  Miss 
Fraser's  diary  brought  to  light  the  information 
that  Malvoney,  realizing  his  worthlessness,  filled 
a  life  preserver  with  lead,  then  tripped  him  over- 
board hi  cold  blood." 

"Whaley  got  a  good  example  of  Hunnish  grati- 
tude," said  Pettingill. 

"I've  examined  every  bit  of  evidence  found 
in  that  baggage  and  cannot  trace  a  single  clue  as 
to  how  they  accomplished  the  theft.  Malvoney's 
baggage  has  not  yet  been  found.  Doubtless  he 
tossed  it  overboard.  When  I  provide  that  one 
missing  link  I  am  through."  Dorn  sighed  wearily. 
"After  that  it  doesn't  seem  as  if  it  mattered  much 
what  became  of  me." 

"I  understand,  Dorn,"  said  Pettingill,  "even 
I  cannot  yet  recover  from  the  shock  of  this 
occurrence  and  I  am  sure  it  will  be  a  long  time 
before  your  steadfast  soul  can  forget.  What 
you  need  now  is  work  and  more  work." 

"Yes,  but  somehow  it  seems  as  if  I  needed 
more  than  that  to  go  back  and  trace  the  details 


AMERICAN  PEP  317 

of  her  death.     The  call  is  stronger  than  I  can  bear, 
yet  it  seems  so  futile  to  go.     I  am  not  yet  allowed 
to   return.    We  sail  in  a  few  minutes  for  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.     There  is  one  thing  I  wish  — 
He  stopped  and  his  hands  gripped  tight. 

"Dorn,  you  know  that  I  said  I  sail  in  a  few 
hours  for  the  Azores.  If  there  is  anything 
possible  for  me  to  do,  will  you  let  me?" 

"Yet,  this  thing  is  so  unusual,  and  will  involve 
so  much  time  and  red  tape,  that  I  hesitate  to 
ask  even  you,"  faltered  Dorn. 

"Try  me;  the  harder  it  is,  the  more  relief  it 
will  bring  us  both.  If  it  is  possible  it  shall  be 
done." 

Still  Dorn  hesitated.  "Do  you  know  she  is 
buried  out  there  as  a  felon,"  he  shuddered, 
"buried  with  those  two  snakes?  When  I  think 
of  her  beautiful  body  thus  —  oh  God,  Pettingill, 
perhaps  it  doesn't  matter,  perhaps  her  soul 
doesn't  care,  yet  the  thought  is  more  than  I  can 
stand.  I  want  her  body  sent  home,  taken  back  to 
the  mountains  to  the  folks  she  loved  and  died  for." 

"I  don't  believe  that  will  be  difficult  to  man- 
age," comforted  Pettingill.  "And  it  may  re- 
quire a  time  to  get  rid  of  the  crew  on  that  sub, 
fumigate  and  make  her  safe  for  my  men.  But 


3i8  AMERICAN  PEP 

when  the  facts  are  known,  there  will  be  no  red 
tape,  Dorn.  The  Government  will  be  as  eager  as 
we  are  to  make  any  possible  amends.  She  is 
one  of  our  heroes,  surely." 

"Then  you  will  see  that  it  is  done?" 

"Yes,  Dorn.  But  now  my  time  is  up  and  I 
must  get  back  to  my  ship.  I  have  been  for- 
getting one  of  my  important  errands  with  you. 
You  have  here  the  engine  parts  taken  from  the 
'Merb'?" 

"Yes,  but  better  send  a  man  for  them,  they  are 
heavy." 

With  real  regret  Dorn  saw  his  friend  board 
the  launch  and  hasten  toward  his  ship.  His 
visit  had  been  a  tonic. 

In  another  hour  the  pump  that  sent  a  three- 
inch  stream  of  life  into  the  tanks  of  the  "Adze  " 

9 

stopped.  They  threw  off  the  lines  that  bound 
them  together.  The  "Adze"  began  to  draw  in  her 
chain,  and  the  moment  the  anchor  came  to  the 
water's  edge  she  swung  in  the  stream,  headed  for 
the  sea.  She  swept  forward  like  a  frightened 
thing,  something  like  a  monster  bee  that  had 
found  its  fill  of  precious  honey  on  one  flower,  and 
with  mighty  power  sped  on  its  way  to  its  ap- 
pointed purpose. 


AMERICAN  PEP  319 

The  rapid  trip  to  the  Canary  Islands  held  no 
special  interest  to  Dorn.  Again  on  the  way  to 
Madeira  in  calm  seas  nothing  developed  to 
interest  him.  They  sped  away  on  a  new  course, 
due  east  to  the  Bermudas,  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

Lieutenant  Worth  spent  more  time  in  Dorn's 
room  than  he  did  in  his  own  quarters,  as  Dorn 
had  to  remain  with  his  instruments  for  twenty- 
four  hours  for  no  assistant  had  been  available. 
But  as  they  now  were  entirely  out  of  the  danger 
zone  he  was  able  to  pull  himself  together  and  make 
up  his  lost  sleep. 

He  and  Worth  studied  the  papers  found  in  the 
German  captain's  bag  and  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  base  of  operation  and  supplies 
was  not  in  Mexican  ,waters  at  all.  They  placed 
it  somewhat  uncertainly  off  the  west  coast  of 
Florida,  likely  on  some  of  the  barren  islands 
there. 

The  two  thousand  miles  from  Madeira  to  Dry 
Tortugas,  Florida,  were  covered  in  less  than 
three  days.  Like  a  great  hound  of  the  sea  the 
"Adze  "  made  careful  search.  Their  attention  was 
particularly  centered  on  one  of  the  larger  islands 
that  offered  a  fair  protection  to  ships  against 
the  winds.  They  decided  to  anchor  here  and 


320  AMERICAN  PEP 

watch  a  while.  Dorn  was  able  to  pick  up  Wash- 
ington to  give  report  and  get  new  orders. 

"Remain  and  watch  twenty-four  hours  more," 
came  the  reply,  "then  report  to  an  Atlantic 
port." 

"Dorn,"  declared  Lieutenant  Worth,  "I  be- 
lieve we're  on  the  right  track.  While  you  were 
at  the  instruments,  some  fellow  was  steaming 
directly  behind  us.  As  soon  as  he  got  within 
sight,  he  turned  quickly  and  changed  his  course." 

"You  believe  then  that  the  'Merb'  was  loaded 
here?" 

"More  than  that,  I  believe  we  are  on  the  trail 
of  the  second  sub.  Do  you  see  those  gulls  over 
there?  Notice  how  they  hover  over  one  spot? 
They  don't  do  that  unless  they  expect  something 
to  eat.  As  far  as  we  know  there  are  only  two 
boats  in  this  cargo  submarine  enterprise.  They 
probably  are  making  more,  but  only  two  have 
been  released.  We  have  one  of  them  safe  enough." 

"And  if  we  can  get  the  other,"  broke  in  Dorn, 
"our  job  will  be  through  and  I  can  — " 

He  did  not  finish,  but  Worth  understood. 

"The  chart  indicates,"  continued  Worth, 
"about  twelve  fathoms  of  water  there  and  a  gull 
can  see  that  far,  also  they  know  without  seeing." 


AMERICAN  PEP  321 

"I'd  like  mighty  well  to  see  them  get  a  good 
square  meal,"  said  Dorn  grimly. 

They  lifted  their  glasses  to  study  the  scene. 

"It  would  cost  but  one  shot  to  demonstrate 
your  theory,"  suggested  Dorn. 

"One  might  not  be  enough,  but  two,  about 
fifty  feet  apart,  would  at  least  bring  up  a  lot  of 
fish  for  those  gulls.  Let's  try  it,  anyhow." 

Without  waiting  for  -approval  Worth  summoned 
his  officer  and  directed  that  the  shots  be  fired. 

The  "Adze  "  appeared  to  grab  her  anchor  chain 
in  her  mouth  and  bolt  for  the  spot,  working  up 
a  speed  of  twenty  knots  in  the  thousand  feet. 
At  the  signal  a  giant  capsule  slid  down  and  hardly 
disappeared  before  another  depth  bomb  slid 
after  it.  All  the  while  the  "Adze"  was  gaining 
speed  to  get  away. 

The  results  were  more  surprising  than  usual. 
Though  the  "Adze"  was  five  hundred  feet  distant 
when  the  first  bomb  charged  with  S.  H.  was 
exploded,  fifty  or  sixty  feet  under  the  water,  the 
men  on  deck  were  thrown  violently  down,  and 
had  hardly  risen  before  the  second  bomb  brought 
them  down  again.  The  sea  boiled  as  a  mighty 
caldron. 

"And  now  let's  see  if  we  have  wasted  our 


322  AMERICAN  PEP 

ammunition,"  said  Worth,  as  the  "Adze"  swung 
about  and  dropped  her  anchor  close  to  the  spot 
where  they  had  discharged  the  bombs. 

"By  Heaven,  what's  that?"  shouted  Worth,  as 
the  sea  gave  a  violent  wrench  and  belched  great 
volumes  of  air.  "That  was  not  from  our  shot." 

"Great  God,  man,  we've  hit  something,"  cried 
Dorn  excitedly,  grabbing  the  Lieutenant's  arm. 
"Where  did  that  bale  of  cotton  come  from?" 

"Is  that  a  bale  of  cotton?" 

"As  sure  as  you  live,  it's  a  compressed  bale. 
The  Germans  want  cotton  badly.  Look,  there 
comes  another,  and  another.  As  sure  as  Heaven 
those  bombs  have  opened  up  a  sub.  Another 
shot  will  bring  more." 

"Ho!  the  lead  there,"  Lieutenant  Worth  ordered 
his  officer  of  the  deck. 

"Twelve  fathoms,"  came  the  call. 

"Send  down  another  two  bombs  set  to  explode 
as  deep  as  possible."  He  turned  back  to  Dorn. 
"Now  we'll  surely  bring  up  something." 

The  "Adze "  once  more  took  up  her  anchor 
chain  and  moved  backward  some  five  hundred 
feet  like  a  giant  making  ready  for  a  high  jump. 
As  though  in  anger  she  rushed  toward  the  spot 
where  there  was  still  some  agitation  of  the  water. 


AMERICAN  PEP  323 

Like  a  huge  wasp  she  let  loose  her  terrorizing 
stinger.  This  time  every  man  stayed  below 
deck  to  avoid  being  thrown  down.  The  water 
rose  in  the  air  higher  than  before  and  the  sea 
boiled  up,  indicating  the  stupendous  effect  of  the 
S.  H. 

The  "Adze"  wheeled  again  like  a  giant  eagle 
and  anchored  near  the  place  where  the  bale  of 
cotton  rose.  Two  or  three  bodies  now  came  to 
the  surface  together  with  other  wreckage  lighter 
than  water. 

"Your  instinct  was  good/'  said  Dorn  gravely. 
"There  was  a  submarine  there." 

Worth  adjusted  his  glasses  and  began  to 
count.  "There  are  twelve  bodies  floating  out 
there  now,"  he  said;  "the  Hun  evidently  was 
short-handed,  and  that  fellow  we  saw  turning 
back  was  bringing  a  larger  crew." 

"Lieutenant  Worth,"  exlaimed  Dorn,  "do  you 
realize  what  the  destruction  of  this  submarine 
means?" 

"For  one  thing  it  means  that  we  are  twice- 
famous  men.  It  also  means  that  this  explosive 
S.  H.  is  more  terrible  even  than  we  thought. 
And  further,  Dorn,  it  means  we  are  going 
home." 


324  AMERICAN  PEP 

"Not  just  yet,"  shivered  Dorn.  "We've  got 
to  search  all  those  twelve  bodies  and  examine 
every  bit  of  evidence  that  we  can  take  back  for 
the  department  at  Washington." 

And  the  gruesome  task  had  to  be  done.  To 
Dorn's  tautly  strung  nerves  it  seemed  the  last 
straw,  but  a  few  hours  later  they  were  through 
and  in  two  days  more  the  "Adze  "  like  a  queen  of 
the  water  came  swinging  into  the  calm  waters 
of  a  northwest  harbor. 

With  the  same  restless  impatience  Dorn  asked 
for  orders  from  Washington.  His  eyes  were 
turned  toward  the  Azores,  yet  instinctively  he 
knew  what  his  unsurmountable  instructions  would 
be.  They  came  as  he  expected: 

"Worth  will  head  convoy  for  the  troop  ship 
leaving  harbor  tomorrow.  After  this  trip  he  will 
return  to  Washington. 

"Dorn  will  proceed  to  Washington  with  all 
accumulated  evidence  concerning  submarines. 
Prize  '  Merb '  is  in  harbor  at  Navy  Yard,  being 
surveyed  by  proper  officers." 

He  went  at  once  to  Lieutenant  Worth  with  the 
message.  "Here  are  your  orders,"  he  smiled. 
"One  more  trip  on  the  'Adze/  then  you  are  to 
come  to  Washington." 


AMERICAN  PEP  325 

"And  where  do  you  go,  old  man?  I  was  afraid 
they  wouldn't  let  you  stay  with  me  through 
another  trip." 

"I  am  to  take  the  evidence  to  Washington. 
But,  God  knows  I  don't  want  any  swivel  chairs 
and  flunkies  about  me.  I  want  action.  There 
is  not  a  place  in  the  whole  government  that  I 
want.  I  must  have  work,  hard,  hard  work." 

"I  know  how  you  feel,  Dorn.  Such  a  wound 
as  yours  will  not  heal  quickly,  even  in  activity. 
But  wherever  you  go,  whatever  you  do,  I  want 
you  to  know  my  heart  is  with  you.  And  we 
mustn't  forget  either,  the  new  possibilities  open- 
ing to  us.  This  prize  will,  be  a  big  one.  It  means 
a  lot  of  money  for  us  both,  Dorn." 

"I  wish  to  God  I  wanted  it,"  said  Dora  bit- 
terly. "A  month  ago  it  would  have  filled  me 
with  elation."  Then  he  shook  himself  together. 
"The  operator  at  Washington  informs  me  that 
our  prize,  the  'Merb,'  is  at  the  Navy  Yard  here, 
being  surveyed  for  value.  I  want  to  see  Pettingill, 
and  am  going  to  look  him  up." 

"I  do  not  need  to  leave  till  tomorrow,"  said 
Worth,  "so  I'll  come  with  you." 

And  together  they  went  to  taste  the  first  mate- 
rial laurels  of  their  victory. 


Chapter   Thirty-one 


IT  WAS  WITH  MIXED  EMOTIONS  THAT 
Dorn  first  viewed  the  "Merb"  from  a  dis- 
tance, as  they  stood  on  the  wharf  in  the  Navy 
Yard.  It  held  a  new  meaning  for  him  now,  full 
of  both  tenderness  and  horror,  for  it  was  there 
that  Betty  had  fought,  and  won  her  fight,  for  his 
honor  and  her  own.  Before,  it  had  been  to  him 
merely  an  enemy  craft,  now  it  seemed  like  a 
sinister  tombstone  erected  over  dead  hopes. 

An  improvised  gang  plank  led  to  its  deck  from 
the  wharf.  Pettingill  heard  their  approach  and 
came  swiftly  forward  with  hand  outstretched. 

"I  thought  you'd  come,"  he  greeted,  as  the 
friends  gripped  hands.  "I  hear  that  you  and 
Lieutenant  Worth  have  been  accumulating  fresh 
laurels.  It  seems  to  me  you  have  more  than 
one  man's  share  to  your  credit  now." 

Pettingill  preceded  them  along  the  gang  plank, 
and  led  the  way  to  the  deck  of  the  "Merb."  "I 
understand  you  have  viewed  this  monster  only 


AMERICAN  PEP  327 

from  a  distance,"  he  said,  "and  you'll  be  glad  to 
view  your  spoils  at  closer  range.  The  quarantine 
officers  have  passed  her  as  safe."  They  followed 
him  into  the  tower,  looking  from  side  to  side 
with  appraising  eyes. 

In  the  center  of  the  tower  a  table  had  been 
placed  for  consultation  purposes  and  steel  stools 
arranged  about  it. 

"This  is  the  only  available  space  on  board," 
said  Pettingill,  "the  rest  we  can  congratulate 
ourselves  is  full  of  cargo  to  the  last  cubic  foot." 

"Did  you  have  trouble  navigating  her?"  asked 
Worth.  " 

"Not  a  bit.  As  you  know  she  is  an  oil  burner 
with  plenty  of  fuel  to  bring  her  here.  The 
machinery  was  in  good  condition,  except  that  she 
would  not  submerge,  but  after  the  first  day  from 
the  Azores  I  was  in  friendly  waters  and  did  not 
worry." 

Dorn  had  a  sense  of  fighting  for  time,  of  putting 
off  the  question  that  was  clamoring  in  his  heart. 
He  wanted  to  ask  if  Pettingill  had  fulfilled  his 
mission  in  regard  to  Betty.  If  so,  then  it  might 
be  that  within  a  few  feet  of  him —  His 
thoughts  could  not  make  tangible  this  possibility. 
He  shivered  and  grew  white.  Pettingill  sensed 


328  AMERICAN  PEP 

the  cause  of  his  agitation  and  cut  their  common- 
place talk  short. 

"Dorn,"  he  said  gravely,  "I  want  you  to  take 
a  good  grip  on  your  courage,  pull  yourself  together 
hard,  and  go  into  the  second  mate's  room,  that 
door  there,"  pointing. 

Dorn's  hands  clenched  and  the  muscles  of  his 
face  worked  convulsively.  He  stood  with  his 
back  to  the  men,  trying  to  force  himself  to 'go. 

"My  God,  I  can't!"  he  cried. 

"There's  good  news,  too,  Dorn,"  Pettingill 
prepared  him  gently.  "Go  on,  old  man,  we'll 
wait  for  you  here." 

Worth,  seeming  to  sense  the  full  meaning  of 
Pettingill's  words,  had  risen  to  his  feet,  as  if  he 
would  spring  forward  into  the  room  beyond, 
but  Pettingill  checked  him. 

"Go,  Dorn!"  insisted  his  friend. 

Something  in  the  tone  brought  the  quick  blood 
throbbing  to  Dorn's  temples  and  the  color  rushed 
back  into  his  cheeks. 

Instinctively  he,  too,  knew.  "You  don't  mean, 
you  can't  mean  — "  He  rushed  forward  and 
opened  the  door.  Then  he  checked  himself 
for  the  wild  hope  that  Pettingill's  manner  had 
brought.  It  was  cruel  of  his  friend,  even  sub- 


"He  stood  still,  gripping  the  door  casing." 


AMERICAN  PEP  329 

consciously  to  rouse  this  sense  of  something  big 
and  wonderful  and  happy  waiting  for  him  there. 
Couldn't  Pettingill  understand  what  it  would 
mean  for  the  man  who  loved  her  to  find  her 
mutilated  body  — 

He  entered  the  room  slowly  with  bent  head. 
He  heard  a  gentle  stirring  and  a  low  choked 
cry.  From  the  cot  in  the  corner  a  pale  face  was 
raised,  framed  in  a  rumpled  mass  of  short  brown 
curls. 

He  stood  still,  his  hand  gripping  the  door 
casing.  His  eyes  were  wide  in  the  shock  of 
unbelief.  But  her  brown  eyes  were  raised  wist- 
fully to  his,  and  he  knew  that  his  senses  had  not 
deceived  him.  Then  he  rushed  forward,  the 
barriers  of  his  fear  broken  down. 

"Oh,  Betty,  it  can't  be,  and  yet  it  is,  it  is  you, 
your  wonderful  self,  warm  and  alive  —  " 

"And  very,  very  tired,"  she  breathed.  Her 
hands  went  out  and  he  held  them  close  against 
the  fierce  pounding  of  his  heart. 

"You  thought  —  "  she  faltered. 

"I  thought  everything  that  was  terrible!  Oh, 
my  dear,  my.  dear.  I  have  lived  in  a  thousand 
hells.  You  were  not  with  them  then,  those  three 
who  tried  to  escape?  And  Pettingill  found  you, 


330  AMERICAN  PEP 

and  brought  you  back?  You  have  been  on  board 
this  pest  ship  all  the  tune?" 

"I've  been  pretty  sick,  Jack,"  she  smiled 
gently.  "But  I'm  going  to  get  better  now. 
Lieutenant  Pettingill  told  me  you  all  thought  me 
dead  and  I  begged  him  not  to  let  you  know  until 
we  could  be  sure  I  wasn't  going  to  die,  after  all. 
They  weren't  sure  of  that  until  today.  And 
then  I  was  coming  to  you.  I  haven't  been  able 
to  get  up  yet,  but  every  one  has  been  very  kind. 
It  was  one  of  the  sailors  who  went  with  Malvoney 
and  the  captain." 

"Was  it  the  fever,  Betty?" 

"No.  I  just  broke  down,  gave  out,  fell  to 
pieces.  It  was  an  awful  tune,  Jack." 

And  looking  at  her  face  he  was  able  to  read  just 
how  terrible  it  must  have  been.  To  him  she  was 
still  the  one  woman,  but  there  were  new  lines  on 
her  white  face,  and  a  startled  fear  still  lurking 
in  her  brown  eyes. 

"We're  going  to  take  all  the  pain  and  the 
terrible  memories  away,  Betty,"  he  choked. 
"That  is  going  to  be  the  work  of  all  my  life,  to 
help  you  forget  every  thing  unhappy." 

"And  you  have  suffered  too,  Jack,  I  can  see 
it  in  your  face,  feel  it  hi  your  voice.  It  has  been 


AMERICAN  PEP  331 

hard  for  me  to  lie  here  knowing  that  you  were 
suffering  even  more  because  of  me.  Yet  it  would 
have  been  worse  to  hear  that  I  was  safe,  merely 
to  learn  afterward  that  I  must  die,  after  all. 
Wouldn't  that  have  been  worse,  Jack?  Should 
I  have  let  him  send  the  message  as  soon  as  he 
found  me,  even  if  I  wasn't  sure?" 

"No,  Betty.  I  think  to  have  lost  you  twice, 
would  have  killed  me.  But  now,  can  you  tell  me 
about  it,  are  you  strong  enough  to  talk  much? 
When  can  you  leave  this  boat,  and  come  with 
me?" 

"They  think  I  am  better  here,  just  quiet,  for 
a  few  days.  It  is  all  clean  and  safe  now,  but  I 
shall  get  strong  very  soon,  then  the  mountains 
will  do  the  rest." 

"The  mountains  and  —  me —  Betty,  don't 
forget  me." 

"I  haven't  been  forgetting  you  one  minute  all 
this  time,  Jack.  I  couldn't  have  done  anything 
if  I  hadn't  felt  you  near  me,  with  your  own 
strength  and  endurance.  Time  and  time  again 
I  have  been  on  the  point  of  giving  up,  then  the 
thought  of  all  you  had  done,  sent  me  back  to 
duty." 

"All  I  have  done!"  he  repeated;  "why,  I  have 


332  AMERICAN  PEP 

done  nothing,  not  a  thing,  compared  to  your 
own  brave  sacrifices.  Oh,  Betty,  it's  going  to  be 
a  glorious  victory  for  us  when  you  come  back. 
Can't  you  see  Malcom's  face  now,  and  the  shining 
eyes  of  all  your  people?  We'll  be  very  happy, 
won't  we,  Betty?" 

But  the  men  outside  had  allowed  them  all  the 
time  they  could,  and  there  now  was  an  insistent, 
joyous  pounding  on  the  door.  Dorn  leaped  to 
open  it,  and  stood  before  them  unashamed  of  the 
tears  that  were  streaming  down  his  lined  face. 

"I  broke  it  as  gently  as  I  could,  Dorn,"  said 
Pettingill.  "She  wouldn't  let  me  send  for  you 
sooner.  Was  I  cruel,  old  man?" 

"Nothing  matters  now,"  said  Dorn  in  a  thick 
unsteady  voice.  "A  fellow  never  knows  the 
full  meaning  of  things  till  he  faces  them.  I  know 
what  life  means  to  me  now  —  life  and  heaven." 

"But  let's  get  down  to  earth  for  the  present," 
beamed  Worth.  "I'd  like  to  be  introduced, 
then  I'd  like  to  hear  all  the  news." 

In  contrition  Dorn  presented  him  to  Betty,  then 
the  three  men  sat  near  her  cot,  and  listened  to 
her  brave  little  story. 

"And  it  was  you,"  marveled  Dom,  "who  put 
the  valve  out  of  commission,  so  she  couldn't 


AMERICAN  PEP  333 

submerge,  and  who  made  the  breech  lock  of  the 
gun  useless." 

"Yes,"  answered  Betty,  brightening  at  the 
remembrance.  "I  used  the  powerful  acid  they 
gave  me  at  Washington  to  destroy  the  code. 
But  I  was  able  to  do  even  more  than  that,  for 
I  purposely  mixed  the  suitcases,  and  let  Mal- 
voney  run  off  with  mine,  while  I  held  his  for  the 
evidence  that  I  knew  it  would  contain." 

"By  Jove,  Miss  Fraser,"  exclaimed  Worth, 
"there  wasn't  much  you  didn't  think  of,  was 
there?" 

"And  was  the  evidence  we  wanted  there?" 
asked  Dorn  breathlessly. 

"Every  bit  of  it.  It  is  so  simple  that  we  will 
laugh  at  ourselves  for  not  figuring  it  out  before. 
I  found  engravings  and  photographs  and  notes, 
showing  exactly  how  it  was  done."  From  under 
her  pillow  she  took  a  roll  of  papers,  and  spread 
them  before  the  astonished  men.  "This,"  she 
explained,  "is  the  diagram  Malvoney  gave  Whaley 
to  work  from.  You  will  remember  the  poor 
fellow  had  the  aspiration  to  be  an  artist.  Mal- 
voney gave  him  paint  and  brushes,  but  they  were 
put  to  sorry  use.  See,  this  photograph  shows 
two  new  cars  on  the  siding  where  the  car  of  S.  H. 


334  AMERICAN  PEP 

was  loaded.  Both  of  them  are  B.  R.  &  B.  One 
was  numbered  76533  and  in  the  same  series  the 
other  was  numbered  76538.  It  took  only  a  few 
moments  for  Whaley  to  change  that  three  to  an 
eight,  on  the  loaded  car,  and  the  eight  to  a  three 
on  the  empty.  He  stole  the  seals  and  sealed 
the  empty,  so  that  when  the  Marines  were  given 
the  number  they  guarded  the  empty.  And  of 
course  when  the  conductor  of  the  freight  went  in 
on  the  switch,  he  took  the  car  by  its  number, 
believing  it  his  valuable  freight.  A  few  days 
later  the  loaded  car  went  to  Pittsburg  as  an  empty. 
That's  how  you  happened  to  stumble  upon  it. 
Also  the  similarity  in  those  numbers  was  what 
gave  you  your  'hunch'  that  day,  remember, 
Jack?" 

"Yes,  I  remember,  and  I  can  hardly  grasp 
my  own  stupidity  at  not  seeing  more  than  a  mere 
'hunch'  hi  that  very  obvious  solution.  But  how 
did  they  get  the  car  the  second  tune?" 

"All  they  had  to  do  was  to  let  the  brakes  off, 
where  gravity  would  carry  it  to  the  Junction. 
It  was  Malvoney  who  changed  the  number  that 
tune,  for  Whaley  had  to  make  the  pretense  of 
mustering  the  guard.  The  car  was  then,  with 
its  new  number,  rushed  into  Pittsburg,  reloaded 


AMERICAN  PEP  335 

into  express  cars,  and  sent  through  to  Charleston, 
on  passenger  time." 

"But,"  exclaimed  Dorn,  "that  couldn't  have 
been  done  without  help  from  the  inside." 

"Well,"  reminded  Pettingill  bitterly,  "remem- 
ber Malvoney  had  a  fat  roll  and  he  used  it  freely. 
I  am  afraid  that  even  in  the  best  institutions  and 
enterprises  there  are  still  men  who  can  be  bought." 

"The  railroad  service  has  got  to  be  purged," 
said  Dorn  hotly. 

"They  already  have  commenced  on  that," 
assured  Pettingill.  "And  now  we  all  are  cleared 
gloriously,  thanks  to  the  little  lady  here." 

"And  that  little  lady  is  growing  very  tired 
now,"  said  Dorn  tenderly,  "and  we  must  let  her 
rest." 

Worth  and  Pettingill  rose  at  once  and  bent 
over  her  hand.  There  was  real  homage  in  their 
parting  words. 

Left  alone  with  Dorn,  Betty  for  the  first  time 
seemed  confused.  The  tangles  were  all  cleared, 
and  there  was  nothing  left  for  them  to  talk  about 
now  but  themselves. 

"I'm  not  going  to  bother  you  now,  dear," 
he  promised,  "but  you  remember,  way,  way  back 
there  was  something  we  were  going  to  talk  about 


336  AMERICAN  PEP 

when  we  both  had  won,  when  our  work  was  done. 
We  have  won,  Betty,  and  our  task  is  finished. 
And  do  you  know,  we  can  do  much  for  our  moun- 
tains now,  because  we  shall  be  very  rich." 

"Rich  hi  so  many  ways,  Jack,"  she  whispered, 
and  her  voice  told  him  all  her  happiness. 


THE  END 


"I  WANT  A  MYSTERY  STORY!" 

Do  you  recall  how  the  clerk  used  to  hunt 
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find  what  you  wanted  ? 

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Up-to-date  stores  everywhere  carry  R.  J. 
S.  Mystery  Stones  —  clean,  clever,  snappy 
and  fascinating  tales  by  the  best  writers  of 
the  day,  all  arranged  for  your  convenience 
in  a  handsome  display  case. 

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These  Masters  of  Mystery  make  it  possi- 
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THE  DEATH  CRY  by  Darby  Hauck. 


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"Mystery  stories  have  a  fascination  for  the  average  reader  of 
fiction.  No  matter  if  he  has  read  one  dozen  or  one  hundred,  the  latest 
is  sure  to  be  seized  upon.  For«this  large  class,  'The  Death  Cry'  will 
provide  new  thrills." — New  York  Evening  Post. 

MIRAGE  by  William  H.  Kofoed.  $1.50  net. 

Read  in  MIRAGE  the  powerful  story  of  an  idle  dreamer  of  the 
"West  awakened  to  success  by  a  capricious  Eastern  belle.  There's  a 
dry  whiff  of  the  desert  and  the  clamor  of  cities  in  this  novel ;  a  bit 
of  love  intrigue  and  a  tinge  of  mystery  through  which  the  Arizonian 
strides — preoccupied  and  alone — to  a  denouement  of  rare  strength. 

THE  YEARS  OF  THE  LOCUST  by  Albert 

Payson  Terhune.  $1.50  net. 

Followed  by  a  phantom  fate,  Lorraine  Roth  girdles  the  globe  in 
search  of  sanctuary  to  find  her  soul  in  the  desert. 

THE  INN  AT  RED  OAK  by  Latta  Griswold. 

$1.50  net. 

A  good  old-fashioned  tale  of  love,  adventure  and  treasure,  cen- 
tered around  an  old  Inn  in  New  England.  The  tentacles  of  time  reach 
out  of  the  dead  past  and  grasp  the  living  in  their  stifling  embrace, 
yet  all  comes  well  in  an  unexpected  manner  at  the  end. 


AT    ALL 

THERE'S  ALWAYS  A  HIW  OMB 


Forthcoming  Titles 

DENVER'S  DOUBLE  by  Marriott  Watson.  $1.50  net. 

Appealed  to  upon  the  ground  of  patriotism,  a  substantial  British 
subject  consents  to  impersonate  another  man.  Immediately  he  finds 
himself  the  centre  of  a  series  of  mysterious  murders., 

THE  STRANGE  CRIME  by  Ian  Roy.          $1.50  net. 

Introducing  to  American  readers  a  new  English  writer  of  mystery 
stories  who  will  be  heard  from  often  in  the  future. 

TOLD  BY  TELEGRAPH  by  George  Saint 

Amour.  $1.50  net 

Telegraph  operators  learn  many  strange  things  in  the  course  of 
their  work.  MacWhortle,  itinerant  operator,  determined  to  turn  this 
knowledge  to  good  account  and  summoned  from  various  parts  of  the 
country  a  motley  crowd  of  unfortunates  whose  secrets  had  come  into 
his  hands.  What  he  did  with  them  makes  interesting  reading. 

THE  GREEN  OPAL  RING  by  El  Comancho. 

$1.50  net. 

As  the  hero  is  looking  out  of  the  window  of  his  section  in  an 
overland  sleeper,  a  strange  young  woman  in  a  train  on  the  track  next 
his  own  suddenly  thrusts  upon  him  a  green  opal  ring  asking  him  to 
meet  her  two  months  later  in  New  York  city  and  return  it.  With  the 
possession  of  the  ring  come  many  strange  adventures  which  hold 
the  reader  to  the  last  chapter. 


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